Morgan 402

Description

The Morgan 402, a lesser-known center-cockpit cruiser designed by Charles Morgan and built by Morgan Yachts in the mid-1970s with limited production (fewer than 50 units estimated), embodies the brand's shift toward comfortable offshore voyaging with its fin keel and skeg-hung rudder configuration (approximately 5 ft draft), appealing to East Coast or island sailors seeking stability and ease in moderate conditions without the shoal-draft compromises of earlier models. Measuring 40 feet LOA with an estimated 12.5-foot beam, 32-foot LWL, and around 18,000-pound displacement (bolstered by roughly 7,000 pounds of lead ballast), it unfurls approximately 809 square feet of sail area in a masthead sloop rig (I=47 ft, J=14.75 ft, P=40.33 ft, E=14.5 ft), delivering a respectable sail area/displacement ratio of about 17.5 for solid light-air performance—hull speed around 7.3 knots and comfort ratio in the high 20s—that excels in 5-12 knots with balanced pointing and a dry ride, though its moderate displacement/length near 250 renders it deliberate in puffs, prone to weather helm when overpowered, and best with reefing in sustained breeze over 18 knots.