YMs Sept 2017 Moody 31 Review-Critical or Fair

[Tomaret]

I used to sail regularly on a bilge keeled 31 mk II. It was certainly not skittish (my Gibsea 92 better fitted that description) but the owner sold it and bought a Sadler 29, which to my mind sails better than the Moody. As with all yachts of that era with a large genoa and a skinny main prolonged racking can be tiresome especially if single handed. For that reason I’ve moved on to a fractional rig with a self tacking jib.

 

[jimi]

I helped sail a Moody 31 Fin keeler from Dartmouth to Plymouth in a SW F6/7. Skittish is not a word I'd use, solid,seaworthy and a pleasure to sail were my impressions

 

[Pagetslady]

I think Derrick was 77 in 1987, and therefore 28/29 when war broke out.

Ah that explains it, I didn't read your post correctly.
Mike

 

[Oldfellah]

I am no youngster at 69 however I bought my first boat, a fin keel Moody 31 mk 11 a couple of years ago and have sailed to Holland, Belgium and a handful of ports in France and throughout have felt completely at ease with the sailing qualities of my boat. If she had proved to be 'skittish' the there is no way I would have kept her. As a relative novice I appreciate the feeling of always being in control that have when sailing although I must confess that I do tend to reef or drop the main if the wind gets up more that I am comfortable with. Having said that I had an amazing sail between Dunkirk and Ostend with a 30 k wind on the beam giving me a most exciting 8k through the water. Never have I felt that the Moody is anything but predictable.

 

[wully1]

I was surprised by that review, which was of a bilge keeler. Mine is a fin. Yes it is very manouverable, yes it does heel over but it is not skittish. I've had mine 11 years since I was 60. The comment that older sailors might find it a handful was lost on me. it is a bit livelier than an Oceanis 31 that I crew on sometimes but I don't regard that as a negative.

I saw the author, Dick Durham, waiting at the bus stop with his kit bag last week ( on the way to collect his new boat) and after initial hellos I was about to talk to him about the review when his bus turned up. Bah.

If it was written by DD then I’m not surprised he thought it was skittish- he’d probably think that of anything not made of wood, brass and mildew.

Its akin to reading the Mat Sheehan review of a centre cockpit cruiser...

 

[nickbailhache]

I have had a Moody 31 fin since 1984. A 150% genoa is essential and definitely reef at 20° heel. Cruising, I reef at 15°. She carries a spinnaker quite happily in 18 knots of true wind under autopilot unless there is a big sea. The only thing I might miss now is an electric halyard winch workable from the cockpit making it easy to check rigging at the top of the mast. The MkIIs led halyards back to the cockpit.