Moody owners

[Bow42]

We sold our boat a year ago and now looking at buying an Moody 40 or 42 .
Moody owners , what the real difference other then the extra two feet ?.
Is there much difference in sailing and pointing performance ?

 

[Tranona]

Suggest you ask on the Moody Owners Association forum

 

[BurnitBlue]

We sold our boat a year ago and now looking at buying an Moody 40 or 42 .
Moody owners , what the real difference other then the extra two feet ?.
Is there much difference in sailing and pointing performance ?

From experience I can state that the difference between the Moody 34 and the Moody 37 is massive. Totally on different planets. Mostly tracking and the ability to hold a course without total concentration on the wheel and wind and sea state.

I came across the reason by accident. In my case the beam to length ratio between the 34 and the 37. The relatively dumpy 34 compared to the 37 causes wild uncontrolled change of course (noted by some on this forum) and analysed in depth by Dashew. (Beam to length ratio in Dashews books not particularly about Moody.) Dashew designes for a Beam to length ratio of over 4. While the Moodies are around 1.85.

The numbers are close but my goodness the difference in handling is amazing.

 

[Tranona]

While the Moodies are around 1.85.

The numbers are close but my goodness the difference in handling is amazing.

Nonsense. That makes your Moody have a beam of about 18', whereas the beam is actually 11'8" giving a L/B of 2.9. The 37 is only fractionally bigger at 3.0.

Neither of those are particularly extreme.

High length to beam ratios are not necessarily an indicator of good handling.

 

[Pasarell]

I'm sure I saw this question asked on the Moody website a few days ago but can't find it now. The answer, if I remember correctly, was the addition of a sugar scoop to make the 42. If I'm right I can't imagine it will make much difference to performance at all. Maybe a slightly longer waterline when moving but that's about it.
If anybody knows better feel free to correct me!

 

[Tranona]

I'm sure I saw this question asked on the Moody website a few days ago but can't find it now. The answer, if I remember correctly, was the addition of a sugar scoop to make the 42. If I'm right I can't imagine it will make much difference to performance at all. Maybe a slightly longer waterline when moving but that's about it.
If anybody knows better feel free to correct me!

There are more than one 39/40 and 42 Moody designs. Earlier ones by Primrose and later Dixon designs. Think you are right in either case they are basically the same boat. Would not think anybody looking at this type of boat would be over concerned about pointing ability and there is unlikely to be any significant difference between a 40 and 42' version of the same hull.

 

[Bow42]

I'm sure I saw this question asked on the Moody website a few days ago but can't find it now. The answer, if I remember correctly, was the addition of a sugar scoop to make the 42. If I'm right I can't imagine it will make much difference to performance at all. Maybe a slightly longer waterline when moving but that's about it.
If anybody knows better feel free to correct me!

Has an non owner I am unable to join , maybe you could ask the question on my behalf and answer here or PM me . Thanks

 

[MoodySabre]

Has an non owner I am unable to join , maybe you could ask the question on my behalf and answer here or PM me . Thanks

There is a section of the forum specifically for questions pre-purchase.

 

[shaunksb]

Moody owners , what the real difference other then the extra two feet ?.

Most Moody owners have now progressed to opposing thumbs and are able to walk upright without the extra feet.

That is until after they have raided their beautifully fitted out drinks cabinet in which case, after an hour or so, they revert to walking around on all fours again.

Hope this helps...

________________________

 

[pvb]

Has an non owner I am unable to join , maybe you could ask the question on my behalf and answer here or PM me . Thanks

As MoodySabre says, there is a section for non-members to ask questions, but it's rather well hidden! You can go straight to it with this link - http://moodyowners.info/

Note that you'll still need to register as a guest to use it.

 

[GrahamM376]

High length to beam ratios are not necessarily an indicator of good handling.

There's a hell of a difference in the two boats although, at a glance, they're very similar. Having owned both models, my experience with the 346 is the same as noted in the used boat test in that it's directionally unstable whereas the 376 sails like it's on rails most of the time.

 

[Tranona]

There's a hell of a difference in the two boats although, at a glance, they're very similar. Having owned both models, my experience with the 346 is the same as noted in the used boat test in that it's directionally unstable whereas the 376 sails like it's on rails most of the time.

That was general comment about the principles. Your experience with two boats that have virtually the same L/B shows that it is not a particularly good determinant of handling characteristics. More to boat design than one ratio.

 

[BurnitBlue]

That was general comment about the principles. Your experience with two boats that have virtually the same L/B shows that it is not a particularly good determinant of handling characteristics. More to boat design than one ratio.

Yes, a typo when I meant 2.8. There is no doubt that the underwater shape of the two boats 34 and 37 are similar yet the handling characteristics are very different.

If it's not L/B what the hell is it? I always think of a triangle sitting on a point when I hand steer the 34. It could fall either way, and generally does. Anyway I have given up hand steering and installed an Aries and Autopilot,

Incidentally Dashew makes a very big deal about L/B and considers it paramount regarding tracking.

 

[Tranona]

Incidentally Dashew makes a very big deal about L/B and considers it paramount regarding tracking.

He would do as his whole business is based on long waterline boats. however he does not have the problem of worrying where to moor his boats and pay mooring fees, nor find accommodation for more than 2 people. with longer waterlines comes more speed potential, but as ever it is a compromise.

As Graham commented his boat has virtually the same L/B ratio as yours and behaves differently. L/B ratios of around 3 are common with modern boats, many of which handle and track very well.

 

[BurnitBlue]

He would do as his whole business is based on long waterline boats. however he does not have the problem of worrying where to moor his boats and pay mooring fees, nor find accommodation for more than 2 people. with longer waterlines comes more speed potential, but as ever it is a compromise.

As Graham commented his boat has virtually the same L/B ratio as yours and behaves differently. L/B ratios of around 3 are common with modern boats, many of which handle and track very well.

This is an interesting discussion regarding L/B. However this is possibly only interesting to me. The OP asked about Moody 40/42 differences. I responded with my experience of the 34/37.

I should leave the thread to the OP but before I go I would like to respond to your point about the L/B on the 37 being "virtually" the same as the 34. There is a difference and I wonder if a difference of scale (3 foot LWL) is also involved.

Yet another point before I go. The 34/37 are the only boats in the whole Moody line up that use an "ADD-On" Cassette to the centre line to allow choice between fin keel and bilge keel. Ooops Sorry I should start a new thread when I get time.

 

[Bloater]

As a Moody 40 owner I can give the answer that you were looking for:

The Moody 42 as someone has correctly pointed out has an enlarged sugar scoop. The hull has been extended from the area of the lazarette lockers backwards to achieve this. The lazarette lockers are larger and you gain an extra foot of headboard in the rear cabin. The bed is about a foot longer from say 6.5ft to 7.5ft long. Nothing else was changed, the other 99% of the boat is identical. It appears to be a marketing exercise so Moody could charge more for the same boat.

There are two different layouts of the Moody 40, the difference being the loss of the proper 3rd cabin in lieu of a walkthrough corridor berth and an enlarged heads on the starboard side (a backwards step) this is sometimes called a 40 mk2. All Moody 42s are of the later mk2 layout. Sailing performance is as near as identical as the water line length is hardly changed, its the same mast and sails. Marina fees are that little higher and the owners of the 42s are asking for a lot more money.

I must point out that I may be slightly biased towards the 40 as mine is one of the 40s that is currently on the market.

 

[Bow42]

Would the 2 foot WL make it much faster then the 40 ?

 

[Tranona]

Would the 2 foot WL make it much faster then the 40 ?

Most of the extra length is in the scoop so the waterline is less than 12" longer which would translate into a possible increase in speed of approx 0.12 of a knot. Unlikely to be measurable and a folding propeller for example would make a bigger difference between the two boats.

 

[GTom]

I started to look at Moody 39-s from the late '70s, really like the design, two concerns though: light wind performance (SADR=13.7) and the week skeg. Also a bit worried about the refit bill, after all a 40 years old boat is a 40 years old boat...

 

[GrahamM376]

two concerns though: light wind performance (SADR=13.7) and the week skeg. Also a bit worried about the refit bill, after all a 40 years old boat is a 40 years old boat...

First I've heard about a weak skeg, not something which crops up on the MOA forum.

Why do most people assume there's going to be an horrific refit bill? Most 40 year old boats have already had lots of bits replaced and maybe engine replaced. Obviously there are some real dogs out there and also some excellent examples but people expect those to sell for the same price as the cheapest one advertised.