Morgan 452 Ketch
Description
The Morgan 452 Ketch, designed by Charles Morgan and built by Morgan Yachts from 1978 to 1981 with limited production (around 20-30 units), refines the Out Island series' heavy-displacement center-cockpit formula for coastal and Bahamas-style cruising through its fin keel with skeg-hung rudder and masthead ketch rig (shoal draft 4.75 ft standard; deeper options to 5.5 ft), emphasizing stability and ease for short-handed East Coast or island-hopping sailors who prioritize volume over velocity. Measuring 45 feet LOA with a 13.5-foot beam, 39.25-foot LWL, and 30,000-pound displacement (including 8,300 pounds of lead ballast), it deploys 734 square feet of sail area, yielding a conservative sail area/displacement ratio of 12.21 for deliberate performance—PHRF around 180-200, hull speed of 8.4 knots, and plush comfort ratio of 35.35 with a capsize screening of 1.74—that delivers a sea-kindly, low-motion ride on reaches and runs in 15-25 knots but lags upwind (50 degrees apparent) due to its displacement/length of 221, demanding motor-sailing in light air or headwinds and early reefing to mitigate weather helm, while the divided ketch sail plan aids balance and single-handing without a massive main.
Construction Details
| Designer | Charles Morgan |
|---|---|
| Builder | Morgan Yachts |
| Length | 45.000 ft |
| LOA | 38.000 ft |
| LWL | 50.000 ft |
| Beam | 13.830 ft |
| Max Draft | 4.908 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 50.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 16.75 ft |
| p | 43.45 ft |
| e | 14.83 ft |
| p2 | 26.50 ft |
| e2 | 9 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50.50 ft | 16.75 ft | 43.45 ft | 14.83 ft | 26.50 ft | 9 ft | - | - |
Sails
Morgan 452 Ketch - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 43.45 ft - (13244 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.83 ft - (4520 mm) |
| Leech | * 45.26 ft - (13795 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88.01 ° |
| Diagonal | * 45.42 ft - (13844 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 321.84 ft² |
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Morgan 452 Ketch - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 42.56 ft - (12972 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 22.32 ft - (6803 mm) |
| Leech | * 36.74 ft - (11198 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.26 ft - (5870 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 409.92 ft² |
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Morgan 452 Ketch - GENOA
| Luff | * 50.55 ft - (15408 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 27.17 ft - (8281 mm) |
| Leech | * 47.42 ft - (14454 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 25.13 ft - (7660 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 635.1 ft² |
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Morgan 452 Ketch - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 50.55 ft - (15408 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 30.15 ft - (9190 mm) |
| Foot | * 30.15 ft - (9190 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 1295.47 ft² |
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Morgan 452 Ketch - MIZZEN
| Luff | * 26.5 ft - (8077 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 9 ft - (2743 mm) |
| Leech-AftHdBd | * 27.69 ft - (8440 mm) |
| Tack Ang | * 88 ° |
| Diag (clew/head) | * 27.69 ft - (8440 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 3.5 in - (89 mm) |
| Area (no Roach) | * 122.408 ft² |
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Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.