H37C vs M-384

Blaise · Jul 23, 2014

I think the Morgan is a nice boat. It is lighter and slower than the 37C. I don't know the year, but thjere is s big difference between the Charlie Morgan built Morgans and the Beatrice Foods built Morgans. As ever, do your research. I also don't believe the Morgan has a seperate shower, but could be wrong. I do know that with 4 Atlantic crossings and 10 Gulf crossings under her keel, Midnight Sun has never given me a worry offshore. Hope this helps.

Jim Legere · Jul 24, 2014

IMO, there is likely little difference in build quality between the Morgan and the Hunter, or any other US-built boat of the same era and price-point, assuming solid glass lay-up in the hull. I have not heard of any documented structural issues with Hunter Cherubini hulls, even the ones that were restored after hurricane damage, etc. So it comes down to design choices. I like the skeg-hung rudder on the Morgan 483, but I prefer the cutter rig (sorry Blaise...), the accommodation layout, and the profile or general 'look' of the H37C. Of course, what would you expect me to say?

malyea said:
Great first hand info, thanks. I think I remember a H37C owner in another thread stating that he had to glass in some reinforcing strips to strengthen the forward hull/topside after a trans-Atlantic to prevent oil canning in his H37C - I haven't yet come across a M-384 requiring similar reinforcement. Not sure, but it makes me wonder.

Bill1565 · Jul 24, 2014

malyea said:
.......may have to jump ship...leave the reservation*...you know - may have to leave the Cherubini family... I want a boat to sail St A to Bermuda round trip a couple times a year and the Morgan 384 looks like a great candidate.....maybe even a bit stronger, sturdier and more tested than a H37C.....(yes, I'm ducking).... Thoughts? * I think I can say that cause I'm 1/16 Cherokee ;-)

If you already have a 37c, IMHO it would be a huge waste of time and money to sell it and buy an unknown boat. You might be in for a couple of years and thousands of dollars in repairs. Be warned, even the best surveyors miss things.

Jim Legere · Jul 24, 2014

malyea said:
No, I have a '82 H30 and am shopping for a 38' to 42' (no more than 44'... 46' max)...

Well if you are looking for something in the 38 - 42 foot range, why title the original post "H37C vs M384" - are you trolling?

Blaise · Jul 24, 2014

It was me that posted the re-enforcements to the bow to prevent oil canning. I don't know if it was really an issue, but I did it anyway. That was after the second atlantic crossing. We were putting the bow so far underwater that you would lose sight of the entire pulpit.

Jim Legere · Jul 24, 2014

Blaise said:
It was me that posted the re-enforcements to the bow to prevent oil canning. I don't know if it was really an issue, but I did it anyway. That was after the second atlantic crossing. We were putting the bow so far underwater that you would lose sight of the entire pulpit.

I think the oil-canning issue is oversold. In the forepeak of our boats is a section of hull about 6'6" long by about 4' high that is just a straight fiberglass panel. Unless it is reinforced with some sort of ribs, as you did, it is going to flex when pounding into big waves. I can vouch for this, having spent some time with my feet braced against the leeward side whilst reading bedtime stories to my kids on a particularly rough Gulf of Maine crossing about 10 years ago. The hull is made of Fiberglass Reinforced PLASTIC after all; by definition it is supposed to flex. I am not a materials engineer, but it is pretty obvious that, as long as it does not exceed its modulus of elasticity, FRP is quite happy flexing, although the go-faster racing crowd may have issues with its effects on boat speed. The flip side is that improper reinforcement - ribs with sharp edges, etc. - can actually create problems. Look at the plates on the bow of a destroyer that has been through some weather: they are all dimpled-in between the ribs. In this case the steel has stretched past its limit of elasticity. So does the bow of an H37C need reinforcing? Probably not. Does reinforcing the bow area increase risk of material failure? Probaby not if the ribs are wide enough with tapered edges. Daniel Spurr's Upgrading the Cruising Sailboat gives some useful advice on how to reinforce fiberglass bow sections, for those who want to go there. Me...I still haven't decided.