Moody Grenadier 119 Questions regarding rigging, keel and manouverability

[Nazim Bayazit]

Hello,
My wife and I have been looking for a bluewater sailboat to live on full time. We are now negotiating with the owner of a Grenadier 119, and there are some issues which I'm trying to clarify regarding this model as indicated in the post title.

The rigging arrengement shown on sailboatdata allures to a ketch setup. However both the boat which we are interested in and other for sale boats are rigged as single mast sloops.

We have images of the boat on land and have seen that the keel seems to be a mix between fin and full keel. However we were unable to see first hand the keel bolts. The owners account was that the boat is full keeled, and there are no bolts to speak of in the traditional fin keel construction method.

The current owner has also stated that the manouverability of the boat is lacking compared to the boats of similar sizes such as bavarias, beneteaus and jeanneaus (we have experience with the initial 2) due to the keel and rudder setup. (Skeg hung) He has equipped the boat with a Vetus bow thruster to combat this when docking to marinas.

Could someone familiar with the design clarify and comment on these matters and what we should be expecting? Specifically the reliability of Moody keel construction. As I understand from forum posts both here and on other sites the design is well suited and should provide ample comfort at sea (the comfort ratio is listed in the top 30s compared to light weight production boats in the low 20s).

Our experience so far has been on the aforementioned lightweight production boats, 37-40 ft bavarias and beneteaus, as well as a Humpfrey built for racing. But this will be the first boat that we actually own ourselves.

Additionally we will be purchaing the boat in Turkey and begin cruising in the Mediterrenean in case there are factors to take into account regarding to high wave frequency encountered here.

Therefore any advice on specific checks we should focus on during land and sea surveys as well as the owners past experiences regarding maintenance of Moody's would be much appreciated.

 

[Sally Hesketh]

Hi

I own one of the three Grenadier 119s made... I also work with one of the guys who built them (I’m a shipwright). As far as I am aware, only one of them was made as a ketch, the other two (including mine) are sloop. Technically, though not full keeled, she sails pretty much as such. I have another smaller true full keeled boat and they handle similarly. They do not go backwards hugely well - in marinas (I’m a live aboard in one) the bow thruster is your friend, along with negotiations for a good berth - though along my travels, simply mentioning to marina staff that I am full keeled and don’t do backwards, often helps! Mine kicks to port when you put her in astern, and short sharp bursts of power, combined with the bow thruster and you have control than you’d think.
In a big sea, you will be really comfortable, providing you have stowed your stuff well. Though heavy, she makes good speed, she will heel over less than a Bavaria or Beneteau or any standard fin keeled boat, and then stay there - they are a joy in a good blow - you feel incredibly safe in the centre cockpit. I drop the spray hood for docking and if it’s not horizontal rain! Less than 10 knots of wind and tacking can be a bit slow.
The build quality on these boats is superb - insanely good lay up, and fit out inside.
I’m on the south coast of Uk and selling mine due to a change in personal circumstances, but feel free to get in touch if you would like more info.

 

[Nazim Bayazit]

Hi

I own one of the three Grenadier 119s made... I also work with one of the guys who built them (I’m a shipwright). As far as I am aware, only one of them was made as a ketch, the other two (including mine) are sloop. Technically, though not full keeled, she sails pretty much as such. I have another smaller true full keeled boat and they handle similarly. They do not go backwards hugely well - in marinas (I’m a live aboard in one) the bow thruster is your friend, along with negotiations for a good berth - though along my travels, simply mentioning to marina staff that I am full keeled and don’t do backwards, often helps! Mine kicks to port when you put her in astern, and short sharp bursts of power, combined with the bow thruster and you have control than you’d think.
In a big sea, you will be really comfortable, providing you have stowed your stuff well. Though heavy, she makes good speed, she will heel over less than a Bavaria or Beneteau or any standard fin keeled boat, and then stay there - they are a joy in a good blow - you feel incredibly safe in the centre cockpit. I drop the spray hood for docking and if it’s not horizontal rain! Less than 10 knots of wind and tacking can be a bit slow.
The build quality on these boats is superb - insanely good lay up, and fit out inside.
I’m on the south coast of Uk and selling mine due to a change in personal circumstances, but feel free to get in touch if you would like more info.

Hi Sally. Thank your for your insight. I must say I feel quite lucky that someone with experience on such a rare model replied
We just had a survey done today. Everything onboard is working fine. The current and the previous owner apperantly had a lot of work done over the years, including an engine change a decade ago to a yanmar. Surveyor was impressed with the state of the engine and the sails (2012).
However he noticed a crack at the bottom of the mast, right where it connects to the deck. He is unsure how significant this is, as either its a simple crack, or it points to something more significant because the grp at that section seems to be at an angle and he's not sure if this was caused by some damage or is the regular shape. If you have any photos of the mast foot from either port or starboard side could you share them?