friendly and are positively feral in
reverse; but if you primarily do
offshore, longer-distance stuff
then the long-keeler has an
advantage. However, if your
sailing is mixed, a standard
fin-keeler may suit your needs
better. We settled on a Moody
31 in the end and have never
regretted our choice. The boat is
a bit of a jack-of-all-trades and is
capable of handling the rough
stuff. A ballast ratio of around 37%
makes her stable
and quick, 7
knots under sail
being fairly easy
to achieve in a
decent blow. It’s a well-laid-out
boat and could carry two cruising
couples happily for a couple of
weeks. The original engine was
probably over-specified for the
size of boat so it pushes her along
nicely with plenty in reserve for
headwinds or motoring into seas.
My choice would be a decent
Moody 31, and avoid expensive
refit bills on the other boats you
have listed.’
This was just one of many
plaudits I received from contented
Moody 31 (LOA 30ft 9in) owners.This Bill Dixon-designed cruiser
features high on the list of popular
boats of its size: construction
started in 1983 and continued into
the ’90s with fin and twin keels on
offer. A beam of 10ft 6in, weight of
9,966lb, ballast ratio of 37%, DLR
of 270 and SA/displacement ratio
of 15 put it firmly in the camp of
modern, capable and roomy
family cruisers. Despite highish
freeboard, it looks sleek and well
styled: and, of course, its aftheads, stern cabin and practical
L-shaped galley make it a hit with
the ladies. Richard Hodder
confirmed this, saying: ‘I bought
Eleanora, a fin-keeler, in 1985.
Why? I had always fancied a
Contessa 32, but after a trial sail
my wife was not impressed. Too
uncomfortable! At the boat show
we saw the Moody 31: my wife
liked the space and comfort and
it looked a good sea boat to me.
Not as fast as the Contessa
perhaps, but I wasn’t really a
racing man.’Maybe, but the fin-keel
version still has above-average
performance. I crewed on a Mk1
version with good-quality sails
that picked up plenty of pots in
Hamble-based handicap races –
and changing to a folding or
feathering prop adds speed.
Eleanora’s co-owner Paul
Kennedy told me: ‘Our Autoprop
gives us a definite advantage and,
based on experience with the
two-bladed fixed prop we had
before, we achieve
typically one knot
extra when sailing
and a better drive
and a knot or more
when under motor. The Autoprop
has three blades and also adapts
better to conditions.’
Richard also proved his Moody
31’s ability offshore by joining
a Royal Cornwall YC rally to
the Azores.
Another owner, John Ranson,
endorsed the Moody 31’s
qualities, saying: ‘I have owned
Nakita from new in 1990. We
have sailed the local rivers and
across to Holland, Belgium and
France. The boat is almost a
member of the family, and I intendto keep it. It’s large enough to
accommodate six but can be
sailed single-handed. The
oversized 28hp engine will push it
through a steep chop at 6 knots.
‘Over almost a quarter of a
century, I have discovered how
well the boat has been made: it
has never let me down, and I still
love sailing her.’
So if you are after an all-purpose
30-footer, the Moody 31 should be
on your list. Another owner, Martin
Lampard, summed it up well:
‘Altogether, it’s an excellent,
comfortable boat that has met
my most important need – a
contented wife – extremely well.
‘I’ve been impressed by the
Moody Owners Association’s
online resources: there’s
phenomenal content on the site
and very impressive knowledge
and helpful attitudes from the
members. One “problem” is that
I find myself looking at bigger
boats, as one always does, but
after ogling them a bit, I ask
myself: “Yes, but what would you
actually do with all that space?”
Most of the layouts are basically
stretched versions of the same
plan we already have.’Sailing Scenes
Sailing Scenes
Sailing ScenesBoats
‘If you primarily do offshore stuff,
the long-keeler has an advantage’
Westerly Konsort: available second-hand from £18,950Sadler 29: available second-hand from £18,500Sadler 290: available second-hand from £43,000