Moody 36 (90s) Compared to 38

J

Jon Spicer

Member
Hi all
Other than only having the one head is the 36 much different to the 38?
Looking at the stats it's only 23cm longer.

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While having a second head would be handy for guests and redundancy it's not a show stopper.
I'll be living aboard full time so if significantly smaller / less storage / cramped then I'll cross it off my list.
Anyone living aboard a 36 how are you finding it?
Many thanks
Jon
 
Hi Jon,

There re two M38's available, the one you have shown built from 1991 - 96 and a later design, built from 2000 to 2003. It is the later one which, in style is more similar to the M36 built from 1996 to 2000. In terms of style, the M38 you have included in your sketches is quite different from the M36 you have included. You need to see, and ideally sail, both types to form your own view as to which you prefer.

Another significant difference between all the boats you have in your sketch is waterline length - this might sound a bit esoteric, but it makes a significant difference to passage times. Moodys are not racing boats, but they do have areputation as passage makers. As one cruising guru one said, there is no substitute for waterline length. The Moody 36 you are considering is 9.24 m. and the 38 you're considering is 9.6 m. hat's worth an hour or more on a passage from the Solent to Cherbourg. The later Moody 38 is 9.787 m., more again, but one of the ways that extra is achieved is less rake in the stem, a change which tends to give a less comfortable motion at sea.

Lastly, while these hulls and decks are almost indestructible, all the equipment does wear out over the years, so a newer boat is likely to be in better shape in terms of the engine, electronics etc. and that fact tends to keep their prices higher. On the other hand, you may find an older bot that has had a major refit, new engine, new tanks, rewired, new electronics. Well refitted older boats tend to offer the best value.

Peter.
 
Thanks Peter
The M38-2 seem really rare, and very few photos available for comparison.
I "borrowed" that picture with the different models from the facebook group and didn't realise the mix up.
Appreciate the information on the waterline length, very handy to know.
I'll keep looking and sure i'll find one eventually.
I do have a Dufour 39cc to look at which is similar in layout but not quite what i was hoping for.
I know i'll have to compromise somewhere because there's no such thing as the "perfect" boat :)
 
The David Moody "Moody Legacy" book only lists 37 Moody 38 - 2000 version compared to 163 of the 1990 version.
Martin
 
Hi Jon,

When we were looking for our M38 we had a very serious look at the Moody 36. What we noticed was that on deck it certainly felt the same as the Moody 38 it seemed spacious for a 36 footer. Down below it was the little things we noticed that was different to the 38's we'd been looking at previously:
  • The aft cabin seemed ever so slightly shorter, the bulkhead with the mirror on seemed a little bit closer the to bed. The storage seemed comparable to the 38 aft.
  • I preferred the M38 galley being on the port side rather than starboard
  • The aft heads seemed smaller and I wasn't keen on the layout - It's weird because it shouldn't really matter but for some reason it just felt better on the M38 and a bit more roomy. In addition, due to my height I did the "sit on the loo reading a newspaper test" (obviously clothed :D) - It was a bit more cramped when compared to the M38
  • The main cabin didn't seem as wide as the M38 and again seemed to be wrong way round compared to the M38
  • The fore cabin was pretty much the same as the M38
  • I'm 6ft 4 and I found headroom to be fine and the bunk lengths seemed to be ok too
Overall I found the M36 was definitely a boat that should be seriously considered. So for physical fit, age of vessel, price and spec compared to a 90's M38 it was still in scope for us despite the above as there is always an element of compromise.

This is when we boiled it down to what we were going to do with her. If it was just my wife and I cruising the UK then the 36 would be perfect. However, our target is to cruise the med and do the ARCs (Portugal, Arc+, Arc Europe) in a few years time with friends visiting from time to time.

Ideally for this, we wanted a 422 but the price, availability etc. was out of our reach. The M36 whilst newer was just that little bit smaller as we were thinking of storage for long journeys so we opted for the M38 as it was bang in the middle of what we wanted. BTW we also looked at a 2000's M38... We just didn't like it and preferred the 90's M38 there was something about it that just didn't have the character of the 90's M38.

All in all we found you can't tell from specs alone as to whether a boat is fit for purpose as you can drive yourself round in circles looking at all the information. It's well worth a visit to all boat considerations to get a feel of the boat layout. It never ceases to amaze me how when you step aboard a boat, the feel you get from her and how important it is.

I hope our experience helps a bit :)

Andy
 
Thanks Andy
This was just what i was looking for.
I got a very similar feeling even just looking at photos and videos.
Boatshed do some great VR videos which work great with my Quest.
Can't beat a real world visit though and i can't wait for the restrictions to lift.
I was tempted by the 425 but if i have to spend any time in a marina the charges will mount up quick.
Being under 12 metres the 38 is the sweet spot.
Right now though there is a Dufour 39cc at a very reasonable price and the recent survey doesn't have anything to raise the blood pressure.
Will need to see it in person for sure and compare to the M38.
My plan is eventually to cross the atlantic and up the eastern seaboard which i don't fancy doing in anything too "plastic".
Tempting to get something newer but they all seem a bit MFI
I know i'm being a grumpy old git and will just have to remain patient :)
 
Hi Jon,

We owned a Moody 36 1997 for 8 years and never regretted buying it. All the gear on it was quality equipment. Only things I up spec'd were the halyard winches and the winch for pulling in the furler. Freezer worked extremely well , engine had plenty of grunt.
The 36 handled unpleasant weather very well. Great boat for 2 people.
We only sold it because we wanted to sail to the South pacific islands which are 1200 miles from NZ so needed more space for storage and crew. The Moody 54 we bought has more space but the finish inside isn't quite as good as the 36.
 
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