New (to me) boat?

[mikefleetwood]

After years of watching from the sidelines, I am planning to buy a 1979 Moody 30 as our first real boat. We go to look at it next week sometime. Does anybody have anything to say about this boat - either good or bad? Anything in particular we should look out for or ask from the seller? Many thanks!

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Oh, how we used to dream of the luxury of a Moody back in the day when we were sailing this ...




Usual things to look out for, condition of engine, sails, and hull below the waterline. Soft decks, and water content in any balsa cored parts - not sure if Moodys of that era were balsa cored, but it was common for decks to be balsa cored, so watch out for soft decks. Also leaks, rot, and mildew .... the boat is over 40 years old, so there are bound to be issues unless you are extremely lucky.

Otherwise, good luck and I hope it's a nice one. You'll know as soon as you go below decks

Don't know what the price is, or your experience, but if you know someone who knows what to look for then take them along, ideally a qualified surveyor, but they are expensive and it may not be cost effective.

 

[mrming]

After years of watching from the sidelines, I am planning to buy a 1979 Moody 30 as our first real boat. We go to look at it next week sometime. Does anybody have anything to say about this boat - either good or bad? Anything in particular we should look out for or ask from the seller? Many thanks!

I don’t know that model, but can mention some of the usual stuff in case it’s helpful. Age and condition of sails and standing rigging. Condition of external canvas. Condition and service history of engine. What’s the fuel tank made of? If mild steel, would replacing it mean engine out? Condition of interior woodwork and upholstery. Age of electronics. All expensive things which can make a “cheap” second boat double or triple in price. A surveyor will find anything really bad.

 

[mikefleetwood]

Thank you - all good things to look out for when we visit. We will be taking a friend who has some experience buying and selling boats, although not in a professional capacity. Also considering a survey, although that depends to some degree on the impression we get of both boat and seller. Asking price is £9k - so hopefully a little out of the "project boat" range. I've seen plenty of photographs and internally and externally it looks surprisingly clean - although I'm under no illusions that there will be things to be done, but hopefully not too much urgently.

As for my experience - none on a boat like this, lots of messing about in sailing dinghies as a teenager, then living on the coast for the last 25 years with a small fishing punt.

 

[Graham376]

There's a section on the Moody Owners site where potential members or buyers can ask questions without joining. Moody Owners Information Exchange

 

[nevis768]

Age of engine, state of engine, (is it a rust bucket), age of rigging, state of sails and mast/boom, seacocks-do they work, rudder, electronics -is the autohelm working, state of hull-osmosis, (if it has it, you may find it very hard to sell)
Check the keel bolts, older Moodys often have rusted up keel bolts. Good boats if it has been looked after.

 

[crown22]

You will almost certainly need a professional survey to get market value replacement insurance.If you buy without you will probly only be able to get third party cover.That cover pays you back nothing if the boat is damaged or is a total loss.

 

[DoubleEnder]

Upholstery can be surprisingly expensive, so have a good sniff

 

[mikefleetwood]

Sorry to revive an old(ish) thread. We had a good look at the Moody 30 a few weeks ago. While the wife was quite happy with the accommodation and other design aspects of the boat, there were a few things that gave us cause for concern. Principally, there was a lot of damp inside, in fact, most of the cushions were sodden - not clear if this was due to condensation or windows leaking (storm Bert!). UV strips on the sails were all shredded and the sprayhood had come unstitched (Bert again!). Upshot is we're unlikely to go for this one, although I may have another look if the seller tells me the seats have dried out.

Anyway, we went to look at #2 on our list - this was a Moody 29, a few years newer than the previous one, for about the same price. This one has a recently installed Bukh, ex-lifeboat with just 10 hours on the clock. Quite a few other recent renewals also. All sails and furnishings look to be in good condition, although another damaged sprayhood. I plan to arrange another visit, this time to make copious notes and photos of every nook and cranny and rummage in every locker and access panel.

As before, I'd like any comments or experiences on this choice.

Thanks.

 

[KompetentKrew]

I'd expect any boat to be a bit damp, and it's hard to say how much would be acceptable without seeing it for oneself.

New engine is worth a lot just on its own though. It sounds like the owner of the Moody 29 has taken care of it.

 

[Obi]

Boats will be damp.

+1 professional survey. Yes, can be a bit superfluous at times, telling you that the patch of mould might mean damp, or that because it is >30 years old the rigging might need redoing. Yes. We can figure that stuff out mostly for ourselves. But there are certainly times when the experienced eyes are going to be invaluable.

For example, a leading yard rebuilt the Perkins and Borg Warner on the boat I bought. They "professionally" refitted it. All at great cost. First long passage later: Off the coast of S'able D'olonne a thunking occurred every revolution of the prop. So I headed into port and after a week in Sable D'O with tools, masks and snorkels I eventually traced it to the L shaped mounting bracket for the engine. The studs into the block and the plinth at 90's to each other, interfered with each other, there was clearly no way to lock the nuts on tightly, and thus one corner of the engine was not secured. Everyone missed this, surveyor, marine engineers, the yard that fitted it could not have missed it, but chose to ignore it.
(The solution: I simply cut some washers and built it up enough so I could tighten the nuts). But the point being, there is a lot that can be missed/overlooked that can be important. Had my prop being waggling around due to the loose engine, a nasty leak could have occurred, located where the stern gland was under the aft cabin sole.

Reading between the lines, your post sounds keen and potentially emotionally invested. My personal approach would be to try to take a step back if you are getting "attached" to this Moody. I thought I had got to that point several times, and then ended up clocking up another few thousand miles and travel/surveyor bills as I carried on looking for my boat. There were boats I really wanted to be able to buy, but common sense had me walk away time and again, back to the internet and endless searching.

The questions posted are quite open ended and could take a lot to address to a level that provides benefit or peace of mind when you go to look at the Moody. It is complicated enough buying a boat, even as an ex-skipper who has worked on dozens of different models, did a 18 month refit, an ex-owner who shopped for his own yacht for 12 months and did years of reading and research before hand. Went all over EU looking at boats. I do not think I could easily address the question you are asking. Add in the fact the yacht is over 40 years old that adds in additional complications.

Caveat emptor.



With all of the above in mind I offer the following comments for your consideration:
1) Do not emotionally commit before you have all the info you need.
2) If you and your friend agree it all looks good, do have a surveyor look over it.

 

[steve yates]

Cushions should not be sodden, thats a red flag for me. Tracing leaks can be a nightmare.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

I bought a new to me boat this year and had the same problem .... the boat buying process has two aspects, one is emotional - the way you feel when you first set foot on board - and often, because of the excitement, and the possibility that this could be "the one", this clouds the logical part of buying the boat which is all about value for money, condition etc.

The bad news is, you need both.

The emotional part is the part that will ensure you maintain the boat properly, and use it regularly - if you don't want to make the effort to repair things properly, or go to the boat and take her out regularly, then it will be a waste of money no matter how much of a bargain it was.

The logical part of boat buying is actually quite easy. Having a friend there for a second opinion is definitely a good idea, and if they are an experienced boat owner, then even better. Depending on how confident you feel about you and your friends ability to determine the condition of the boat, then get a survey.
Obviously, the cheaper the boat, the more extravagant a survey feels as it will be a major expenditure on a cheaper boat - the best value-for-money survey is the one that causes you to walk away, not the one that causes you to buy the boat (unless it can be used to reduce the price considerably).
If you are not confident that you and your friend can assess the condition well, then get a survey.

The other, really important thing to do is to spend time chatting with the previous owner and talk about the boat, you will find out just as much about the boat by talking to the owner as you will by looking at the boat itself. If the previous owner loved the boat and looked after it, it will show in the boat condition and the conversation.

There will always be another opportunity to buy a nice boat, so be hard on yourself and walk away if anything is of concern, and the sodden cushions would be of concern if it was me. Ask the owner why they are sodden and see how he explains it - it's cheaper to walk away before a survey than after.

 

[lustyd]

not clear if this was due to condensation or windows leaking (storm Bert!). UV strips on the sails were all shredded and the sprayhood had come unstitched (Bert again!).

Storms don’t make well maintained things break. If the windows leaked then it was probably time to re bed them anyway. If the stitching gave way then it was UV damage to the thread. Check the fabric and if that’s ok then the thread can be replaced easily by someone competent (or someone less competent can spend longer and still manage).
UV strips are sacrificial and clearly that one had been sacrificed. They are also easy enough to replace with a good machine. It’s possible that the owner left the sail slightly unfurled as many do and that can cause a good sail lots of harm. If there was a good wrap of sheet around the sail then the strip was already damaged.

 

[Jim@sea]

After years of watching from the sidelines, I am planning to buy a 1979 Moody 30 as our first real boat. We go to look at it next week sometime. Does anybody have anything to say about this boat - either good or bad? Anything in particular we should look out for or ask from the seller? Many thanks!

 

[Jim@sea]

In 1979 I bought a new Moody 30, One of the best boats I have ever owned. In hindsight although mine was a Fin Keel I wished I had bought a Bilge Keel. Wheel Steering is essential. I remember fitting an Autohelm to the steering wheel and when I left Hollyhead to go to Ireland (on a calm day) for 13 hours I just sat back and watched the steering wheel twitch slightly as it corrected the course all the time.
I did have a problem with it though, I part exchanged it for a Cabin Cruiser (Big Mistake) to the dealer I bought it off in the November 1982, The boatyard did not winterise the engine when they took it in px. Because the (supposedly) Brand New Princess 33 which they sold me was faulty and was one which I had seen in the water at their marina and refused to buy it saying I wanted the next new one out of the factory, instead they cleaned it up and presented it to me as a brand new boat. I found faults with it and rejected it. and got my Moody 30 back
Because they had not winterised the boat when I finally got the Moody back I found that during the winter the engine had frozen and the cylinder block had a big crack in the engine block casing, Having a garage I had the block welded and charged the boatyard for the work.
So if your Moody 30 has a repeared weld mark on the engine block, it could be the one I had.
(Somewhere I have the actual receipt for what the boat cost and all the extras are listed, Spinnaker etc.)
PS I wish I had it now)

 

[DoubleEnder]

Moody 30 is a good boat. I did a winter passage in one from Falmouth to Poole in horrid weather and the trip was fine, very comfortable. But I think there are quite a few of them around, so don’t get too hung up on this one. You’ll find a good one, or a good boat that’s similar. I think sopping upholstery is an immediate ‘no’ unless there is a very big discount, and you really, really want a project.