Catalina Yachts Morgan 45

BoatsCatalina Yachts Morgan 45

See her sail

The Catalina Yachts Morgan 45, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Vela Sin Rumbo

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 29 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 29

CoastalBluewater

1.88 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.88

LightHeavy

206 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 206

EasygoingPowered-up

15.3 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 15.3

TenderStiff

33% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 33%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

Heavier than ~75% of boats her size on file
Draws less than ~88% of boats her size on file
Beamier than ~76% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2321 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Catalina Yachts Morgan 45, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Catalina Yachts Morgan 45 is a Nelson Marek-designed masthead sloop, built by Catalina Yachts from 1991 to the present, distinct from the earlier Morgan 45 of 1966. It features a fin keel with a rudder on a partial skeg, measures 13.8 meters LOA with a 4.2-meter beam, and displaces 11339 kg. Aboard *Vela Sin Rumbo*, Fer and Renán chose a 1991 model for its spacious interior, including a large master cabin and galley, and its manageable size for a two-person crew.7:09 They sold a Santana 20 racing sailboat to fund their liveaboard circumnavigation, which began in the Sea of Cortez with four dogs.10:02 The couple plans to transit the Pacific coast of the Americas before crossing to Europe and Asia, documenting maintenance, self-sufficiency, and the logistics of traveling with pets.4:59

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

33.2%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

15.3

Displacement / length

206.2

Comfort ratio

29.4

Capsize screening

1.88

Hull speed

8.2 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

1859

Hull

Hull type

Fin w/rudder on partial skeg

Construction

Fiberglass

Production

Years built

First built 1991

Designer

Nelson Marek

Builder

Catalina Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Beneteau First 45613.87 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA German Frers-designed masthead sloop offered with diverse keel and rig configurations for versatile performance

I WENT TO MEXICO TO DELIVER A BENETEAU 560:59 from Sailing Solé

Bavaria Yachts 44 Vision13.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 13.7-metre fractional sloop with a high 23.82 sail-area-to-displacement ratio for responsive, spirited cruising

Spearfishing African Pompano!!!(Best Fish In The Sea!!!) [Adventure Vacation Day 11]17:31 from Adventureman Dan

Outbound Yachts 44/4613.64 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Carl Schumacher-designed masthead sloop built for offshore performance with a stiff, comfortable motion

48V or 24V - What makes more sense on a Boat? | Ask The Expert with NIGEL CALDER1:25 from BoatHowTo

Catalina Yachts Morgan 44014.00 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 14-metre masthead sloop with a 1.5-metre wing keel, produced from 2004 to 2012 and later rebranded as the Catalina 440

Sailing Solo to Catalina Harbor and Mild Engine Drama (April 2023)13:09 from keeldragger

Liberty 45813.96 mSame hull family0.2 m longerAn extended iteration of the Peterson 44 hull featuring a unique deck and coach roof configuration on a cutter rig

This Boat Deck is Rotten To THE CORE! Will it End?? - E006 from Living For Sail

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45 DS13.75 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed deck saloon cruiser featuring a classic rig and an optional shallow draft keel

Sun Odyssey 45 DS from SVN solovelanet

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Catalina Yachts Morgan 44A 13.4-metre masthead sloop with a shallow 1.52-metre draft, adapted from the Morgan 43 for cruising comfort Catalina Yachts (Morgan) 50A 15-metre masthead sloop built from 2001 specifically for the charter trade, featuring a shallow 1.7-metre wing keel Morgan Yachts 45-4A Nelson-Marek masthead sloop with a performance-oriented fin keel that served as the versatile base for multiple models Morgan Yachts 45A long-keeled masthead sloop with a high comfort ratio, built by Charles Morgan Jr. between 1966 and 1970 Catalina Yachts Morgan 38A 1993-2005 production masthead sloop featuring a deep 1.98-meter draft and a performance-oriented fin keel

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Catalina Yachts Morgan 45, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Catalina Yachts Morgan 45

The newsletter

New boats, new stories, from everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analyzed. No noise.

Report an issue