The Moody 36S Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The history of Moody sailboats is a long and fascinating one. Here is a brief summary based on the information I found:

• Moody sailboats originated from the Moody shipyard in Swanwick, England, that was founded in 1827 by John Moody, a boat builder who specialized in repairing and overhauling fishing boats.

• After John Moody's death in 1880, his son Alexander took over the business and started to build small dinghies. The shipyard produced its first sailing yacht, the Vindilis, in 1935, designed by T. Harrison Butler.

• In 1965, Moody began to produce fibreglass sailing yachts that were known for their comfort and long distance suitability. They collaborated with naval architects like Laurent Giles, Angus Primrose and Bill Dixon to develop various models of centre-cockpit cruisers.

• In 1973, Moody joined forces with Marine Projects, the manufacturer of Princess motor yachts, to cope with the oil crisis and the slump in the powerboat market. They produced up to 400 sailing yachts per year, ranging from 27 to 64 feet in length.

• In 2003, Moody and Marine Projects parted ways due to falling sales in the sailing yacht business. Moody then partnered with VT Halmatic Ltd and launched a new model series, consisting of the Moody 49, Moody 56 and Moody 66.

• In 2005, the founding family sold the yard to Premier Marinas Ltd, Swanwick. A year later, the production was discontinued. In 2007, German HanseYachts AG acquired the brand and started to produce newly developed Moody sailing yachts in Greifswald, Germany.

• Since then, Bill Dixon has been appointed as the naval architect for all new Moody models. The brand has introduced two new model lines: the deck saloon series (DS) and the classic series (AC).

The Moody 36s is a centre-cockpit cruiser that was designed by Bill Dixon and built by Marine Projects in Plymouth between 1996 and 2000.

It has a spacious aft cabin, a comfortable saloon, a well-equipped galley, a single bunk and a forward cabin.

It also has a choice of bilge, shoal or deep fin keels, a semi-balanced rudder with a half-skeg, and a sloop rig with inboard genoa tracks .

The Moody 36s is a solidly built, medium-displacement cruiser that is capable of a reasonable pace in open seas, where it offers a sea-kindly motion.

It can point quite close to the wind, but performs best at around 50-55° off the apparent wind.

It is easy to sail singlehanded, with all the sail controls within easy reach in the compact cockpit.

It has excellent balance and little or no weather helm. It does lack downwind performance, so it needs a spinnaker to really get going.

The accommodation on board the Moody 36s is generous and well laid out for cruising.

The owner's suite aft has a large double berth, plenty of storage, and access to the heads.

The saloon has a U-shaped settee to starboard that converts to a double berth, and a single settee to port that can be used as a sea berth.

The galley is a good size and has ample worktop space, storage, and appliances.

The forward cabin has two single berths that can be converted to a double with an infill cushion.

There is also a single bunk opposite the heads that can be used as extra storage or as a workbench.

The boat has plenty of stowage throughout, including lockers, drawers, shelves, and bins.