Moody 36 (90s) Moody 35 or Moody 36

[Penelope Forsyth]

Hi - my partner and I are looking to buy our first boat. We plan to cruise the Med and in a few year head further a field on longer off-shore passages. Our budget is c£50k, plus c20% for upgrades/repairs.

We are considering the Beneteau 343, Moody 35 or Moody 36 (90's) and were hoping you might be able to provide some insight on:
- which of these would be best for our purpose or whether we should be considering other Moody models?
- whether there are any specific issues with either of the Moody models that we should look out for when viewing?

We have done lots of looking online but are finding it quite difficult to find boats to actually go and view (the market seems to be moving very quickly) - hence, if anyone has either a 35 or 36 and would be willing to show us around, that would be very much appreciated. We are London based but happy to travel.

Many thanks,
Penny

 

[Ville Steudle]

Hi Penny,

Welcome to the MOA forum and to your journey of (potentially) owning a sailboat some day!

You didn't mention your sailing background, have you been sailing before? If not, charter (especially in the Med) would be a good opportunity to gain experience with some boat types and living space arrangements. Also, with longer-term sailing and living on a boat in general, if not yet familiar with that.

The M36 seems to be clearly above your budget, but you might want to add the M34/M346 and M376 onto your "Moody checklist".

With these Moodys, among the usual things, you have to pay particular attention to:

- Chainplates (well hidden behind cabinets), in particular leaks through their deck slots and consequences of such leaks (attachment tabs)
- Keel bolts/studs, their plates and nuts (mild steel that may corrode)
- Diesel tank (mild steel that may corrode)

Also, have a look as the gas installation (butan/propane), some older cookers (also in other boats) did not have flame failure devices, but should have been replaced by now, and at electrics, in particular later additions.

The B 343 is a nice boat as well and there are much more of them around (especially in the Med), so probably much easier to find and buy one.

You didn't mention whether you thought about buying a boat that already is in the Med vs. sailing it there yourself. Being UK-based, you have to think about VAT/RCD issues as well; mainly, this means: Where to keep the boat and would you want to import it to the UK?

For round-the-world passages or similar, all of the mentioned boats are nowadays considered to be on the smaller range, so think also about a multi-stage approach (1st boat for cruising the Med; 2nd boat bluewater cruiser). That said, many have circumnavigated in much smaller boats, so it's also a question of personal preferences and crew's expectations.

Regards,
Ville

 

[Penelope Forsyth]

Hi Ville - thanks so much for taking the time to reply, it's much appreciated. I will look into the other models you've listed.

We are RYA Day Skippers and have done some casual sailing on friends yachts and a bit of club racing. So not very experienced but looking forward to being able to learn more on our own sailboat!

If we could stretch to a Moody 36 - do you think there are advantages in doing so (over Moody 35 and other models you have listed)?

We had thought about buying in the Med but as you say the VAT situation seems tricky (post Brexit). We are UK residents - hence, we have been told that if we buy a boat in the EU (listed as VAT paid) we will still need to pay VAT again if we want to bring her into the UK (even if just for a limited period). We had thought we might be able to buy in the EU, birth her in the EU but did want to be able to bring her into the UK for at least a few months each year. It does not sound like that is possible from what we know. Is that in line with your understanding? The whole VAT thing seems very complex!

Many thanks,
Penny

 

[Ville Steudle]

Hi Penny,

Note also that a 34-37ft boat is already pretty big for newcomers, so another option is start small, start local, then upgrade if you feel like it. But those are general thoughts not related to Moody yachts (of which there are also nice smaller models, of course).

The M36 is a slightly newer generation design than the other mentioned ones and somewhat more beamy, especially aft, which also makes it more roomy than the 1-2ft length difference suggests. Compared to the M34/M346/M35 you gain a separate chart table seat and a separate small "passage cabin", also chainplates are of different design (visible rods) and diesel tank is aluminium. In the aft cabin, it has a centerline bed, which is practical in port (early bird gets out/night owl gets in without climbing) but less so on passage (need canvas or something on both sides).

The M376 has a somewhat different pantry layout and two heads, the latter of which has advantages and disadvantages. On the M376, the nav seat and passage berth is combined.

Every model has some advantages and disadvantages, so there is no "perfect choice for everyone".

Yes, being UK citizen and cruising the Med (or Europe in general) has become much more complicated. I am no expert on this, but you could check with people keeping their boats in Europe but outside the EU tax zone (e.g., in Turkey or Adriatic countries) on what is involved in practicalities and whether it makes sense.

Regards,
Ville

 

[Robert Gurney]

Hi - my partner and I are looking to buy our first boat. We plan to cruise the Med and in a few year head further a field on longer off-shore passages. Our budget is c£50k, plus c20% for upgrades/repairs.

We are considering the Beneteau 343, Moody 35 or Moody 36 (90's) and were hoping you might be able to provide some insight on:
- which of these would be best for our purpose or whether we should be considering other Moody models?
- whether there are any specific issues with either of the Moody models that we should look out for when viewing?

We have done lots of looking online but are finding it quite difficult to find boats to actually go and view (the market seems to be moving very quickly) - hence, if anyone has either a 35 or 36 and would be willing to show us around, that would be very much appreciated. We are London based but happy to travel.

Many thanks,
Penny

Hi Penny,

It may be a bit late, but I have a Moody35 based in Poole and would be happy to show you and your partner around and let you sail for a day if you wanted?

As @Ville Steudle has mentioned above, every boat is a compromise!

Personally, this was my first boat and am generally happy with the size and happy sailing singlehanded or two on board, but if travelling longer distances, then the bigger the better as far as I am concerned.

Good luck.