moody sailboat reviews

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Moody 36 MkII: a centre-cockpit cruiser that’s practical and fun

• Duncan Kent
• June 17, 2021

The build quality, comfort and seaworthiness of the Moody 36 MkII makes her a popular family cruiser, as Duncan Kent discovers

The Moody 36's excellent balance means there is little or no weather helm. Credit: Tom Benn/[email protected]

Product Overview

Manufacturer:.

The Bill Dixon-designed Moody 36 combines practicality, comfort, sea kindliness and high-quality build, making her an ideal cruising yacht.

The Moody 36 MkII might be described as a family coastal cruiser, but she has a performance not previously seen in Moody’s centre-cockpit range of yachts and is easily seaworthy enough to cross oceans – as many have.

A development of his earlier 35, the Moody 36 MkII had a slightly slimmer hull and longer waterline, which resulted in a noticeably quicker and better-balanced boat.

Though most owners buy Moodys for the considerable comforts they offer, they were meticulously constructed and have excellent sea-keeping abilities too.

Design and construction of the Moody 36 MkII

The Moody 36’s near-plumb stem, attractive retroussé stern and pleasantly rising sheer line with teak-capped bulwark give her a classy, yet modern look.

She carries maximum beam a long way aft, providing sufficient internal space for her trademark roomy aftercabin and offering way more useful stowage than is available in many of today’s popular cruising yachts.

Built at Marine Projects in Plymouth (now Princess Yachts), a total of 118 Moody 36 MkIIs were constructed to Lloyd’s 100A1 yardstick.

Hulls were laid up by hand, using mat and woven rovings with waterproof isophthalic resins.

Owners of the Moody 36 MkII could choose between a bilge, shoal or deep fin keel. Credit: Tom Benn/[email protected]

They were stiffened with balsa-cored frames and stringers, and finished with bonded floors and bulkheads for additional strength.

The deck is balsa-cored, but with hefty plywood backing plates laminated in under winches and deck gear.

Finally, the hull-deck joint was through-bolted and then bonded over, before being capped with smart teak.

A choice of bilge, shoal (bulbed) or deep-fin keels was offered and her large, semi-balanced rudder is supported by a half-skeg, making her more resistant to steering damage from floating debris and stray lines.

Some sailors like centre cockpits, some don’t.

They tend to be a little small compared to aft cockpit boats but many owners prefer being high above the sea and love the extra-large aft cabin it enables.

Downsides include more movement in rolly seas, a higher boom and centre of effort on the main, and poor visibility ahead to leeward with the genoa unfurled.

The cockpit layout is straightforward, with all sail controls led aft through clutches on the coachroof.

The genoa winches are within reach of the helm, as is the mainsheet behind, making single-handing easy.

The large sprayhood provides good protection and easy access to the winches.

Continues below…

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A split backstay and wide rail gate give good access to the transom steps, although it lacks a deeper platform for deck showering and unloading the tender.

Her decks are wide and clear thanks to inboard chain plates and coachroof-mounted genoa tracks.

The foredeck is clutter-free and includes a deep chain locker with a windlass plinth.

Six large mooring cleats are mounted on the bulwarks, making them dead easy to access when coming alongside.

The decks continue all the way aft, where two deep lazarette lockers house most of the loose deck gear.

Below decks on the Moody 36 MkII

Because of the centre cockpit, the companionway ladder is necessarily tall and steep.

The saloon is spacious, warm and cosy with plenty of nicely finished solid wood trims.

Headroom is just over 1.83m/6ft, but watch your head going aft through the corridor.

Set well forward, the saloon is slightly narrower than many, but well compensated for by placing the settees well outboard and making the overhead lockers fairly shallow.

The convertible, U-shaped port settee offers seating for six around the table while thick settee cushions and abundant teak joinery provide a luxurious ambience.

The saloon is cosy and six can eat around the table. Credit: Tom Benn/[email protected]

The dropleaf table doesn’t have a fiddled centre, which is irritating, but does have excellent bottle and glass drawers.

A small step down improves headroom in the forecabin, which contains a decent vee berth with reasonable floor space.

There is ample stowage under the berth, as well as two hanging lockers with shelves, plus a further six lockers above the berth and a large forehatch.

Moving aft, the L-shaped galley is well-equipped, but arranged a little awkwardly.

The worktop area is generous, especially with cooker and sink covers in place, but having the cooker under the cockpit sole limits both light and ventilation.

Both the cooker and fridge are large and there’s storage galore for food, crockery and pans.

The nav station has a forward facing chart table. Credit: Tom Benn/[email protected]

Behind the companionway steps is a central ‘pod’ that provides extra worktop and stowage, as well as housing the fuel tank, battery switches and washboards.

Opposite is a well-appointed nav station with large, forward-facing chart table, its own seat, a comprehensive electrical panel, and plenty of room for nav instruments.

Two corridors lead aft. The starboard one contains a single bunk; the port corridor houses the head, also accessible from the aft cabin.

There’s plenty of elbow room and a separate shower but headroom in the heads is only 5ft 10in.

It’s well organised with good stowage, a large hatch, and a deep sink.

The L-shaped galley has plenty of workspace. Credit: Tom Benn/[email protected]

The spacious master suite aft has always been a popular feature with any centre-cockpit Moody.

Although only 1.83m/6ft long, the Moody 36’s centrally-mounted berth is a luxurious 1.40m/5ft 4in wide.

Headroom is limited to 1.75m/5ft 9in, but the cabin boasts a wealth of stowage plus a dressing table.

Natural light is surprisingly good, with a large overhead hatch, opening side ports and a portlight above the bed head.

Access to the 40hp Volvo diesel engine beneath the cockpit is particularly good, thanks to all-round removable panels, and the steering gear is easily reached under the aft bunk.

Both water and fuel tanks are a good size for cruising too.

Rig and sailplan

The Moody 36 MkII is masthead-rigged with a thick-sectioned, well-supported twin-spreader Seldén mast, boom and gas-sprung kicker.

A triple-reefed, semi-battened mainsail was standard, with luff and leach reefing lines for the first two leading into the cockpit.

The standard headsail was a 125% furling genoa with coachroof-mounted tracks, giving a tight sheeting angle for increased pointing ability.

With the exception, maybe, of the ‘S’ models (31S & 38S), which are reasonably swift, Dixon’s CC Moodys are steady cruisers with conservative sail plans.

All are capable of a respectable pace in open seas, however, where they offer a particularly sea-kindly motion.

Thanks to the inboard genoa tracks they are also pretty close-winded, but they will lose speed rapidly if pinched too tight.

Her fastest point of sail is 50° off the apparent wind, when she surges forward relentlessly, almost oblivious of the sea state.

Control lines on the Moody 36 MkII lead to the cockpit making sailing solo easy. Credit: Tom Benn/[email protected]

The Moody 36 MkII is simple to sail single-handedly, with all the sail controls within easy reach of the wheel, and her excellent balance results in little or no weather helm.

She also boasts a healthy 35% ballast ratio and even with the shoal draft keel she is reassuringly stiff thanks to her weighty ballast bulb.

On a reach with a fair breeze she will easily average between 6.5-7.5 knots in all but the choppiest conditions.

Downwind, she requires a good size spinnaker or chute to keep her flying.

Moody Owners Association ( www.moodyowners.org )

The Moody Owners Association (MOA) aims to serve as custodian of technical information; provide a forum for owners’ experiences; promote social and sailing opportunities and provide a point of contact for prospective owners.

Owners experiences of the Moody 36 MkII

S/y cantata (2000).

Cantata is well equipped including new sails. Credit: Dick Holness

Dick and Angela Holness bought bilge-keeled Cantata in 2015 to replace their Moody S31, primarily for the extra accommodation.

She came pretty standard but since buying her they have carried out myriad upgrades, including new instruments, AIS, MFD, Navtex and VHF extension, now all networked via NMEA2000.

They have also added new batteries with a monitor, gas alarm, sound system, electric windlass, kicker strut, Autoprop, solar panels, electric toilet and new sails, which must make her one of the best-equipped Moody 36s around!

Asked if they’d had any problems, Dick says: ‘One fault at purchase was a leaking rudder stock housing, apparently a common problem on these boats and something I found I could largely fix myself. Also, some 36s, including mine, had a particular type of stanchion fixing through the toe rail that made them prone to leaks.’

Dick, who is co-author of the East Coast Pilot , started sailing dinghies at the age of 12 and continued to race them for nearly 50 years.

He started cruising around 25 years ago and has owned a Hunter Horizon 26, Sadler 29 and the Moody S31.

Based on the River Swale in Kent, Dick and Angela sail predominantly up the East Coast, with occasional trips across the Channel.

‘Under sail, Cantata is quite docile really and probably under-canvassed,’ says Dick.

‘She’s not good in light airs, being quite heavy, but her sea-going qualities are impressive if we get caught out in worse conditions than expected. With 15-20 knots on the beam, though, she gallops along with a smooth, easy motion.

‘Although I occasionally single-hand, Angela and I usually sail together, which is reasonably easy, although as we get creakier, I confess to doing rather more “genoa only” sailing than we used to. However, the change to a fully battened main has made life a fair bit easier. I would guess that the majority of 36s have in-mast furling and, bearing in mind our age, perhaps it might have been wiser to have found one with it. Cantata is very seaworthy and hasn’t really got any vices, although her high freeboard can catch the wind when manoeuvring in marinas.

‘She is very comfortable for long periods on board as there’s bags of space. But if we were off long term, I would probably upgrade and better insulate the fridge, plus install dinghy davits. I haven’t fitted heating yet as it’s so difficult to retrofit hot air ducting.

‘We did a long cruise down the French Channel coast a few years ago. Both crossings of the Dover Strait were wilder than expected but the boat just coped with it all. And with only 1.2m draught she’s a very capable ditch-crawler.’

S/Y Ellen Marvel (1998, HN 61)

John and Lesley Oldham regularly cruise the West Country and France. Credit: Tom Benn/[email protected]

John and Lesley Oldham, 73, have owned the shoal-keeled Ellen Marvel for 19 years.

‘Being the show boat at Ijmuiden, she already had a high specification, including leather upholstery and extra opening portlights, but the first owner also had heating and a bow thruster installed.

‘Our first successful improvement was to remake the aft cabin berth with a deeper mattress and underlaying slats. Venturing outside to secure the gas also became tedious, so we fitted an electric valve/sensor. I also replaced the fridge with a modern 12V model and installed a holding tank. Finally, we increased the battery capacity and included a larger shore power charger, smart alternator regulator and a galvanic isolator.

‘We fitted a Bruntons Autoprop early on, which increased our sailing speed by between 0.5 to 1.0 knot. Later we added a rod kicker with the control line led aft. We also replaced the manual windlass with an electric one and moved it forward to help prevent the chain bunching up. Our most recent upgrade has been to fit dinghy davits.

‘The instrumentation has been upgraded with a Raymarine chart plotter in the cockpit, Quantum radar, AIS700, an Icom DSC VHF and an ICS Nav6plus Navtex and instrument repeater. Plus, we now have an internal Wi-Fi network with router for marina Wi-Fi.

‘We’ve had a few faults, but not many. The pressure relief valve on the hot water tank often discharged into the bilge, which we corrected by fitting an expansion tank, and a persistent leak into the forepeak underfloor was eventually diagnosed as anchor locker drain failure.

‘The original genoa was poorly cut and the positioning of the shrouds and track prevented her from being sailed close-hauled. The original sailmakers had compensated with a belly in the foot but our new sail corrected much of this with a higher-cut clew.’

John and Lesley began sailing by taking flotilla holidays in their early 40s and soon decided to get their own boat.

They bought a new Moody S31 but soon found it too small for their needs as impending retirement, with the option of longer cruises, loomed.

‘We sail regularly as a couple, though often we sail in company with friends in their own boats. We are mainly day sailors with a penchant for overnighting in marinas. With days to spare and a fair forecast, we cruise the south-west coast from our base in Plymouth. For our main holiday we prefer the Channel Islands, Western Normandy and North or South Brittany.

‘Under sail she is not the most close-winded but on a fetch or beam reach she is delightful. On a very broad reach the genoa becomes blanketed by the main so we switch to a poled-out cruising chute. Our new mainsail is fully battened, loose footed and has a decent roach, which makes it much more powerful than the original and consequently requires reefing earlier. The two of us handle her easily as the mainsheet is within reach of the helm and all lines are led back. The stack pack also helps, as does the autopilot.’

What the experts say about the Moody 36 MkII

Nick Vass B,Sc B,Ed HND FRINA MCMS DipMarSur YS, Marine Surveyor www.omega-yachtservices.co.uk

The later Moody 36, built by Marine Projects in Plymouth, is a contemporary-looking yacht that has stood the test of time.

During surveys I have found fairly large blisters on the topsides on several boats, mainly around the portside anchor locker drain but these are from delamination rather than osmosis.

I have concluded that water has entered through the drain hole and saturated the plywood stiffeners that protect the hull from the anchor chain.

The area then stays wet and might delaminate.

My advice has been to keep the anchor locker drain holes free of debris, only have chain in the locker and no other clutter, and paint the area around the drain hole with epoxy to prevent water ingress.

Keel bolts are also a concern on the Moody 36.

Moody used high-tensile steel studs, nuts and backing plates rather than stainless steel.

Although high-tensile steel is stronger than stainless, it rusts, so it’s a good idea to keep the bilge dry and paint the exposed parts of the studs, nuts and backing plates to keep them rust-free.

Rather than using real teak slats, Moody used teak veneer on plywood for deck and cockpit seat coverings, which quickly delaminated.

Fortunately, most did not have it on the decks.

Most Moody 36s I have surveyed have had Volvo Penta MD2040B engines, which are more robust than their D1-40 successor.

However, they do suffer from limescale build-up in the coolant system and their iron castings can become porous.

Check the engine for signs of overheating and get an engineer to take the cover off the heat exchanger.

The exhaust elbow will need to be replaced every 10 years or so, too, as they clog up.

The saildrive diaphragm seal will likely have been replaced several times by now, even on a late example.

Check the service history to make sure that the seal has been replaced, as it can be costly.

There should be a date stamp on the seal but it’s sometimes hard to see.

Ben Sutcliffe-Davies, Marine Surveyor and full member of the Yacht Brokers Designers & Surveyors Association (YDSA) www.bensutcliffemarine.co.uk

I’ve surveyed many Moodys over the years and they do sell quickly on the second-hand market, but it is essential to look carefully at them before purchase.

Check the ply-faced teak in the cockpit.

This material was popular with many boat builders during the 1990s and 2000s.

On most of the boats I’ve surveyed over the last eight years, the ply-faced teak has needed replacing.

Nick mentions the keel bolts being high- tensile; I, in many ways, prefer the reliability over stainless but it is essential to keep an eye on the fastenings.

This can be difficult on the bilge-keel version due to the water tanks under the side berths!

The main cap chain plate anchorage within the saloon is impossible to inspect with the fitted internal joinery.

This is a concern especially if high moisture is identified on the side decks in that area and the covers are wet internally.

Many owners have cut small inspection hatches in the sides of the covers.

I am aware of at least two failures of the chain plates after the fastenings behind these panels failed.

The rudder is supported by a substantial skeg and I have had several experiences of very high moisture in both the blade and the skeg around the support shoe where fastenings have loosened over time.

Alternatives to the Moody 36 MkII to consider

Island packet 370.

A Yamnar 4JH3BE 56hp engine came as standard. Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

Florida-built Island Packets were constructed to a high specification and supplied with a substantial inventory.

Although the 370 has high topsides and a tall coachroof, her pleasant sheer line lends her a well-balanced look.

Construction was meticulous, using vinylester resin infusion, tri-axial weave glass and PolyClad2 foam, finished with an ultra-high gloss Durashield gelcoat.

The hull/deck join is through-bolted and bonded and she has a full-length shallow keel with encapsulated lead ballast and a deep rudder, connected to the keel at the foot.

A deep companionway descends into a cosy, bright saloon.

The table folds away against the main bulkhead, hiding a comprehensive drinks cabinet, and all cabinetry work is top quality.

The settees make good berths, the port side converting to a double by sliding out an extension board.

Stowage is plentiful as the 600-litre freshwater tank sits beneath the saloon sole and ventilation is ample through the 11 opening portlights.

Her superb galley houses a huge fridge, full-size cooker, microwave, water filter, twin sinks and copious stowage.

The aft quarters contain an offset double berth and a nav station/chart table, with a removable bulkhead panel dividing it from the saloon.

Side decks are well protected by the high coachroof. Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

The forecabin features a roomy island berth and en suite heads with shower stall.

The cockpit is well organised with wide coamings incorporating rope lockers.

The steering pedestal supports a table and a stout grab bar, and a high bridge deck and two 50mm/2in drains prevent water collecting.

Under the aft seats are deep stowage lockers.

Her decks are snag-free with shrouds and tracks terminating on the teak-capped bulwarks.

On the foredeck are twin rollers and chain lockers.

Her masthead rig is keel-stepped with single, straight spreaders and forward/aft lowers, with single chain plates.

The cutter-rig model has a self-tacking staysail with boom and a 110% high-cut genoa/yankee.

Although the headsail winches are near the helm, the mainsheet and all other sail controls are on the coachroof.

Under power she has plenty of grunt but like all long-keelers takes her time making directional alterations so a bow thruster is worth having.

The Maxi 1100 has a spacious and deep aft cockpit. Credit: Tom Benn/[email protected]

The Maxi 1100 superseded the 1050, giving improved sailing performance and accommodation.

Designed by ex-Olympic racing helmsman, Pelle Petterson, she has a fine entry, near-plumb stem, shallow bilge and a retroussé transom.

In addition to being quite quick, Maxis were extremely well built.

The 1100 has a carbon-reinforced floor grid that dissipates the rig and keel loads.

Above the waterline, hull and deck are a Divinycell foam sandwich, encapsulated in a vinylester resin-infused, multi-weave skin.

A deep fin keel with a 2.4-tonne lead ballast bulb or an extended shoal fin were offered, both with a deep spade rudder.

She has a tall, keel-stepped mast with twin, swept spreaders.

Shrouds lead to a single inboard chainplate each side, connected to the hull frame.

A gas-sprung kicker and powerful backstay tensioner control the main, which is slab-reefed with lazy jacks.

A deep cockpit sports a big wheel, but the helm area is spacious, with foot supports and flat coaming seats.

Sail controls are led aft.

Coachroof-mounted jib tracks keep the sidedecks clear but the handrails are too short.

Her foredeck sports a short bow-plank and a deep anchor locker with windlass.

The long, straight saloon settees provide room for six to dine comfortably around the sturdy, well-fiddled table.

Her large aft cabin has a roomy double berth, beneath which are the water tank and batteries.

The forecabin is quite spacious too.

Under sail she’s fast, stiff and easy to handle, with a light, positive helm. She tacks rapidly and effortlessly, and her large wheel enables the helm to sit out with the mainsheet to hand and a clear view forward.

The Sunbeam 37 holds it price due to its high build quality. Credit: Sunbeam Yachts

Built in Austria by Schochl Yachtbau and designed by J&J to withstand the rigours of the North and Baltic Seas, the centre cockpit Sunbeam 37 was solidly constructed to a high standard, using top- quality materials and components.

They also featured a comprehensive standard inventory, which included a 55hp Yanmar 4JH3E marine diesel engine and encapsulated lead ballast.

She has timeless looks with a positive sheer and streamline superstructure.

All had teak-capped toe rails and many also had full teak decks.

Below, the beautifully crafted, dark mahogany interior gives her a warm atmosphere without being too gloomy.

The layout is similar to the Moody 36 MkII and the proportions are equally generous, especially in the aft owner’s cabin where her huge island double berth dominates and the en suite heads are a real boon.

Duncan Kent is a technical writer for marine publications and websites

The forecabin is equally plush with plenty of stowage but has no en suite.

The later 37.1 model had an en suite head to port, in place of one of the tall hanging lockers.

She has a longitudinal galley, running aft along the corridor, that is well-equipped with bags of easily accessible stowage although, like the Moody, the far end is a little dark.

The forward-facing nav station has plenty of chart and instrument stowage.

Under sail, she is a powerful performer thanks to her generous sail plan.

With her deep, lead-ballasted fin keel and large, semi-balanced rudder she is stiff, quick and easy to manoeuvre, well-balanced and light on the helm.

The Sunbeam 37 tends to hold her price on the used boat market, easily as well as the most popular Swedish-built yachts.

• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

Moody 41DS review: Could this model win you over to the decksaloon lifestyle?

• November 19, 2020

With the introduction of its smallest decksaloon model, has Moody defined a new genre of 40ft cruisers? David Harding sails the Moody 41DS

Product Overview

Manufacturer:, price as reviewed:.

Whatever your opinion of decksaloons, there’s something extremely civilised about being able to walk ‘inside’ from the cockpit, staying on the same level and looking out through big windows.

Of course decksaloons are nothing new, and they come in all shapes and sizes. The one on Moody’s 41DS, however, is likely to win new converts, including people who might otherwise be tempted by a catamaran or even a motorboat. Opening to the cockpit via a push-and-slide door, it gives you a virtually uninterrupted 360° view of the outside world.

You have the galley immediately next to the door, with a large hatch opening to the cockpit for extra light and ventilation. Descending to the depths to put the kettle on will become a distant memory.

Galley, dining-lounging area and chart table occupy the decksaloon, which has virtually unrestricted views all round

Moody’s newest decksaloon model is all about inside/outside living space – and a lot of each. A hard top covers the cockpit forward of the wheels, the centre canvas section sliding away so you can sit in the sun if you choose. Naturally you have a bathing platform at the stern and there’s also a seating-cum-lounging area in the bow, creating a sort of forward cockpit.

And down below? Well, the Moody is truly cavernous. Bill Dixon’s team drew a boat with plumb ends, high freeboard, full forward sections, near-vertical topsides, a broad stern incorporating a soft chine, and the beam carried well forward, creating a vast volume for the interior designers in Germany to play with. It has been used to create a supremely comfortable interior for a couple with occasional guest or second couple.

No attempt has been made to squeeze in extra berths or cabins, so the Moody boasts living space and stowage on a scale few boats of this length can match.

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Form following function

If the first time you see the Moody is from the bow, your eye will inevitably be drawn to the broad flat stem with its hard corners. That aside, there’s nothing particularly out of the ordinary about the hull shape in the context of a modern voluminous cruising yacht.

The full bow sections will more than accommodate the small loss of buoyancy from the bow thruster in its tunnel and support the weight of the optional 100m of stainless steel anchor chain, not to mention a full water tank under the berth in the owner’s cabin. Helped by the broad stem, a deep forefoot allows the bow thruster to be mounted well forward for maximum effect.

Staying below the waterline and moving aft, we find an L-shaped iron fin keel of moderate proportions giving a draught of 2.25m/7ft 5in. That’s unless you pay extra, as had the owners of Aurelia , our test boat, for the 1.85m/6ft 1in alternative. Propulsion is via a saildrive well forward of a single deep rudder.

Photo: David Harding

Back above the water, fold-down boarding steps neatly incorporated into the solid stainless steel tubular guardrails help you scale the topsides. The sunken side decks are protected by high bulwarks and extend all the way to the bow – just as on the original Moody 45DS that we tested back in 2008.

Overhead is a deck-stepped double-spreader rig of high-fractional configuration. It supports a self-tacking jib and a mainsail that, though slab-reefing as standard, is almost invariably going to be of push-button in-mast persuasion, as on our test boat.

Moving towards the stern you find twin wheels with seats right aft. The forward lower section of the cockpit sole is on the same level as the deck saloon’s. By now, with 15-20 knots blowing across a gloriously sunny Solent, I was keen to leave the marina behind and see how this voluminous shape behaved at sea.

Life on the ocean wave

As you’d expect of a modern yacht with a bow thruster (and the option of a stern thruster), manoeuvring presented no particular challenges. That said, windage would inevitably be a factor in a breeze.

In open water the 57hp of Yanmar pushed us along quietly and smoothly, 1,500 rpm giving 6.3 knots and 2,100 rpm 7 knots. Hinging up the cockpit sole reveals the engine set in its smooth, wipe-clean moulding and with a good amount of space all round. Additional access is from the front, via the decksaloon.

You have a choice of helming position under power or sail. Standing at the wheel to see over the coachroof might initially seem the obvious approach, though you will have a blind spot immediately forward of the bow unless you’re well over 6ft tall. Much of the time it’s better to look through the windows (all in toughened glass) from one of the helm seats.

Wide seats behind the twin wheels give a good choice of helming position. Photo: David Harding

Structural advances have allowed pillars to become smaller and window area much larger than would have been possible only a few years ago, so your visibility is largely unrestricted if you sit down.

The biggest challenge can be reflection in the glass, especially if you’re on the starboard side and facing the double layer of reflections from the open door slid across inside the aft end of the saloon. It helps to move around periodically, both from side to side and to alternate between standing and sitting. I found it useful on occasions to stand on the helm seat for a totally clear view over the coachroof – a position that’s unlikely to feature in Moody’s book of good practice.

Setting sail is straightforward enough (more on that later). A Seldén Furlex 304 is standard for the self-tacker, as is the pair of electric Lewmar 45 primary winches. You can use the port one to furl or reef the jib if you need to.

Visibility forward through the deck saloon from the cockpit is good, though reflections can be distracting. Photo: David Harding

With the main fully unfurled too and a few tweaks made, we settled down to beat into a breeze that ranged between 12 and 22 knots. At its upper end this was probably as much as the boat wanted under full sail, but the flat water gave us options that wouldn’t have been on offer in a seaway and we were perfectly comfortable most of the time.

This is a boat that definitely likes to be sailed ‘full and by’ in the old parlance: sailing deep enough to keep the log reading in the mid 6s felt best for VMG and gave us a tacking angle of within 85° on the compass. Matching the polars might have been easier with the help of a folding prop instead of the fixed three-blader.

For a boat of this nature it was a creditable performance, even allowing for the near-ideal conditions. Elvstrom’s FCL laminate upgrades from the standard Dacron sails are undoubtedly worth having, not least because the greater stability of the fabric allows the mainsail to carry a larger roach.

A large locker in the bow, with a hatch in the bottom for access to the bow thruster and forward for the anchor locker

We also had the optional outer forestay and a genoa on an electric furler. Given factors such as the Moody’s high windage and the modest spread of sail with the self-tacker, extra canvas would be welcome in under 10 knots or so. Instead of a genoa, you might favour a lighter sail designed for greater wind angles if you reckon on motoring upwind in light airs anyway.

Since we were enjoying moderately fresh conditions, we waited to unfurl the genoa until the wind was approaching the beam, and then surged along with the log nudging over 8 knots at times.

In terms of general obedience, the Moody was not found wanting. The rudder is big enough to maintain grip beyond what would be considered normal angles of heel for a boat like this, unlike on some earlier Moodys that have been known to spin round and face whence they came with little provocation.

A hatch in the stern between the helm seats houses the liferaft stowage, and also opens to the lowered bathing platform

Helming positions are comfortable from windward or leeward, giving good sight of the jib’s luff, and the feel through the Jefa steering is positive. Our test boat had the optional Carbonautica composite wheels, a well-worth-having upgrade from stainless steel.

Given the nature of the boat, it would be churlish to moan too much about particular aspects of the performance and handling. Nonetheless, as it’s designed to – and does – sail, a few observations are worth making. Visibility of the headsails when you’re furling or unfurling them from the cockpit isn’t great. It’s is a function of enjoying the protection of a decksaloon and a hard top: you can’t have it all ways.

Managing the rig

Colour-coding the lines, led aft through tunnels to the clutches and winches forward of the helm stations each side, would make life easier. On our test boat they were all white with variations of black and grey fleck.

Access from the stern to the steering mechanism is good

As for sail trim, a self-tacking jib will always twist open too far when the sheet is eased. Similarly, a mainsheet taken to a fixed point close below the boom (such as on top of the coachroof) will also lose its downward component. At times when sailing upwind we felt like de-powering slightly.

Dropping the traveller would normally be one of the first steps if you had one. Easing the mainsheet with this arrangement will principally twist the sail open even if you crank the vang on hard, and is a de-powering tool to be used in moderation. Realistically with the Moody, reefing the mainsail to the first batten will probably be the answer.

Still in the cockpit and looking at other aspects, perhaps my biggest grouse is the all-too-common absence of stowage for small items – binoculars, phones, drinks and so on that you want to be able to grab without having to dive into one of the cavernous lockers either side beneath the cockpit seats (and you have to be very careful not to trap any lines near the hinges when you close the heavy lids again).

The 57hp Yanmar lives beneath the cockpit sole, with additional front access

These lockers contain the two diesel tanks and leave copious amounts of space for everything else, while the liferaft lives just above the static waterline in the stern, below the helm seats, and would be easy to slide into the water with the bathing platform lowered. A hatch in the stern gives access to the inside of the transom and is often awash, so you would want to be sure that it seals as it should.

Moving forward, the recessed side decks are easy to negotiate but there’s nothing to stop green water running aft all the way to the cockpit. On the leeward side it should flow straight out through the stern. If you get green water on the weather deck, it seems likely that some of it will end up in the cockpit’s lower section. Drains here should get rid of the water, though its arrival might come as a surprise to people who weren’t expecting to get wet feet.

Inside living

In the decksaloon we find the galley along the port side, a chart table forward to port (with the optional third helm station on our test boat) and a large seating area around the table to starboard. Spend another £2,500 or so and you can lower the table at the push of a button to create an extra double berth or large lounging area. Mahogany joinery is standard, the golden oak on Aurelia being among the options.

Bright and airy in the galley and full visibility from the chart table

Lifting the sole board in the galley reveals steps down to the ‘cellar’, a utility area complete with space for a washing machine and a second fridge as well as stowage and access to some of the electrical systems. On the whole, access to the essential systems seems good throughout the boat, partly because of the general and very welcome lack of cramming. Interior mouldings are used sparingly and much of the interior is formed by the joinery, allowing access to the outer hull.

When you go forward from the decksaloon and drop down a level, you find the main electrical panel to starboard by the steps, protected by a hinged door.

Straight ahead in the full bow is the master cabin, complete with semi-island berth. There is stacks of stowage and hanging space, an abundance of natural light, more than generous headroom and a spacious en-suite heads and shower. As standard, this heads is shared (via an extra door) with the guest cabin to starboard. I suspect most owners will choose the additional heads to port in a space otherwise used for walk-in stowage.

Full bow sections, lots of light and plenty of height make for a big and bright owner’s cabin

The guest cabin can have a double berth, twins, or twins with an infill for a double conversion. As the pictures show, the overall styling is modern without being garish and the detailing and quality of finish are hard to fault.

Beautifully finished and designed for real cruising, the Sirius has a more traditional feel.

Price: €502,521 (ex. VAT)

Features pronounced chines, with twin rudders and an aft cockpit over one or two double cabins.

Price: €380,000 (ex. VAT)

With aft helms giving familiarity to monohull sailors, this voluminous cat sails well and offers plenty.

Price: €311,990 (ex. VAT)

It’s fascinating to see how Bill Dixon and Moody have developed the decksaloon yacht since the Eclipse range of the 1980s and 1990s. The changes in 30 years are quite remarkable. As for the question of whether the Moody 41DS is a lifestyle cruiser, the answer has to be a resounding ‘yes’. In some contexts such a description might be seen as a euphemism at best. In this case it’s what the boat is – simply and unashamedly. This is a boat for people who, whatever their boating background, want to spend extended periods aboard, most probably in port or at anchor much of the time. Purists, performance sailors and bluewater yachtsmen would be unlikely to give it a second glance unless planning a major change of direction in their sailing career. By contrast, it will provide a lot to think about for those who might alternatively be considering a catamaran or a motorboat for the space, one-level living and sheltered cockpit. So calling it a lifestyle cruiser is anything but an insult. It’s not that this boat won’t perform respectably well under sail, because it does, or that there’s any reason why it shouldn’t complete the ARC and sail home again too, because it could. It’s just that the Moody’s purpose and its strengths lie elsewhere, and its ‘strengths elsewhere’ are pretty impressive.

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Moody Aft Cockpit 41

• By Mark Pillsbury
• Updated: March 25, 2014

On a blustery fall day on Chesapeake Bay after the close of last year’s U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, our Boat of the Year judges had the Moody Aft Cockpit 41 heeling smartly as it took the 15 knots of breeze just off the bow in stride. Compared to many of the sleek new performance cruisers we sailed that week, the Moody’s fit and finish seemed old fashioned — in a good way — with its long, low-slung trunk cabin and slightly overhung transom hinting at a lineage more akin to the classic plastics of yesteryear than its siblings in either the radical-looking Moody DS range or the minimalist Euro-style Hanses, all of which are built at the same yard in Greifswald, Germany.

But in fact, the 41 is a blend of old and new. Thoroughly modern are its nearly plumb bow, below-the-waterline hull form, cast-iron deep fin keel (shoal-draft lead-composite foil is available), and powerful sailing rig and self-tending jib (in-mast furling is optional, and was on the test boat). These all draw heavily from the work of the Hanse design team, which collaborated with longtime Moody designer Bill Dixon on this boat. Still, on deck and below, the look and feel of the 41 harken back to more traditional designs and to the days when the venerable Moody lineup of center-cockpit cruisers was built on England’s south coast.

While the BOTY team toiled on deck to size up the performance of what later in the week they’d deem to be the Best Midsize Cruiser, 40 to 44 feet, I stood below in the saloon, thoroughly enjoying the trappings of tradition: furniture situated in just the right places to provide handholds when and where needed; gleaming varnished mahogany woodwork set off by white panels and upholstery; light pouring in from overhead hatches and 10 inward-opening ports; fresh air from full-size dorades overhead; and devilish little details, such as the woven rattan insets on cupboard doors to keep storage areas well ventilated.

| |_Belowdecks, the saloon is quite traditional in both its layout and looks. The small table to port doubles as a nav station. _|

Later, when it was my turn to take command of the twin wheels, I found the Jefa steering to be silky smooth and the boat simple to handle as we tacked our way upwind with just a turn of the wheel. And as BOTY judge Tim Murphy noted, though the 41 has a fold-down swim platform and walk-through transom, when the platform’s raised, there’s a very secure feeling from having an actual coaming behind you; when steering, you don’t feel like you’re perched at the very aft end of the boat.

Forward of the helm stations, 55-inch benches to either side of the cockpit will let the crew lounge, though probably not stretch out and nap. Still, the seat backs are comfortable. In place of a cockpit table on the boat we sailed, a stainless-steel grab rail provided a solid brace when heeling or moving about.

The Moody 41 was described to us as “a passagemaker for couples,” and in that respect the builder hit the design brief spot on. The boat we sailed had a generously sized owner’s stateroom forward with a roomy V-berth and en suite head. There was just one double cabin aft to starboard and a portside head with separate shower at the foot of the companionway, behind which was an enormous storage locker. Twin aft cabins are an option, as are split berths in the forward cabin. Throughout, there were multiple storage lockers for stowing gear on extended voyages. The L-shaped galley, with fridge, freezer, and propane stove and oven, was equipped and sized with the serious chef in mind.

At its yard in Germany, Hanse builds boats in two ways. The majority of Hanses and Dehler yachts are laid up on a production line where boats advance from workstation to workstation at set times during the day.

| | Full-size dorade vents are fit with protective stainless-steel rails that also work as strong handholds forward of the mast. The vents, a rarity on new sailboats these days, bring in welcome fresh air both at anchor and under way. |

In a nearby custom shop, Moodys, the largest Hanses and Fjord powerboats are built in single stations, with work teams assigned as required. The result, said a Moody representative, is that about 25 percent more man-hours are required to build the AC 41, compared to a similar-size Hanse. This increase is reflected in both the finish and the price, which for the boat we sailed was $360,000 (a similar-size Hanse would be closer to $260,000).

The 41’s hull is composed of a cored fiberglass laminate sandwich, with an outer layer of gelcoat backed up by a layer of vinylester resin; Corecell foam is used below the waterline and balsa above. Decks are also cored with balsa, and solid aluminum plates are inserted in the laminate wherever hardware is to be mounted. Lewmar winches and a Furlex headsail furler come standard. In addition to the self-tacking jib, the 41 also sports inboard stays and outboard genoa tracks designed to handle up to about a 140 percent genoa on an optional second furler.

The Moody AC 41 is driven by a 40-horsepower Volvo engine and saildrive, which the judges felt was slightly underpowered. That said, they found the boat quite maneuverable when motoring and stable in even the sharpest turns. An optional 55-horsepower engine is available.

Said judge Alvah Simon in summarizing his view of the AC 41: “Bill Dixon designed a nice liquid hull, which made for a very nice sail today.” I’d eagerly second that statement. The Moody 41 was pretty to look at and quite comfortable under way.

This article first appeared in the December 2013 issue of Cruising World.

• More: 2011+ , 41 - 50 ft , boats & gear , Coastal Cruising , monohull , moody , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
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