Moody 54 2001/2002

[kurtwray]

I am considering purchasing a circa 2001/2 Moody 54 and I am looking for some advice. I put a post on the Moody forum and the only response I got directed me to this forum.
The reason that I am considering the Moody is that it seems to be good value compared to other similar sized bluewater cruisers. I understand that there will be some updating to do and the Moody makes sense because even with the necessary work it is well within budget.
I spoke with the broker who sols us our current Jeanneau 45DS. He is a Jeanneau broker and warned me off the Moody due to well known issues with them. He then suggested that I buy a brand new Jeanneau 54? I dont want another Jeanneau and I don't have that sort of money even if I did.
We do intend to cruise extensively so this is the type of boat that I think will suit us. We are a young(ish) couple with no kids and we will be fully retired shortly.
I know HRs, Amels etc are better quality but the purchase prices for us are prohibitive.
I would be very grateful to read some views on this boat particularly from anyone who owns one?
Are there any things that we should particularly look out for?
Many thanks in anticipation of any advice.

[Kenomac]

Have you considered buying an Oyster 53?

[Dockhead]

What kind of "well-known issues"? I have been sailing a 2001 Moody 54 for more than 9 years and tens of thousands of miles, and I'm not aware of any. Methinks the broker is trying to sell you something he has.


However, like all boats, they do have pluses and minuses. There are several threads on this model in Cruisers' Forum so if you do a search you'll find a lot of information.


In a nutshell, though:


Pluses:


1. Immensely strong structure. Probably the best boat structure I have ever seen -- absolutely first class with no expense spared, fully tabbed and through-bolted bulkheads, chain plates more massive than those on a Swan 90, etc. etc. etc. This is an important thing if you plan to use the boat in tough conditions.


2. Top shelf rig and deck equipment. Moody were competing hard with Oyster with this boat and tried to outdo them here.



3. Very good deck -- Moody invented the now popular CAD/CAM thin glued down no screws deck, and in fact the only part of the Moody company to survive was the deck operation, which now builds the decks for Discovery, Oyster, etc. They are really good and really durable, no deck leaks from screws, etc. etc. Mine are in amazingly good shape after 17 years of service, and have at least 10 more years left in them.


4. Very good electrics and mechanical installations.


5. Very good sailing performance.


6. Some nice touches like thick plexiglass companion way hatch and counterbalanced sliding washboard, powered exhaust over the stove, etc. etc.





Minuses:


1. Joinery is not up to the standards of the rest of the boat. It looks very good, with a lot of solid teak or quality marine plywood with teak veneer, even some book-matched panels, but the hardware is just total carp, and it is some work keeping the joinery looking good in a boat which is used a lot. Really disappointing.


2. Despite the excellent jumbo dorades, the salon ventilation is not very good -- nothing opens except two smallish hatches. The front windows of the raised salon are small and do not open; this is much inferior to the way it's done on Oysters.


3. Poor deck storage. But this is shared by virtually all similar boats.


4. No place to store dinghy except in davits. Big problem for water sailing">blue water sailing. Obviously shared with many other boats.


5. Limited inside storage for long distance cruising with a large crew.


6. Not particularly good value for the money; not really cheaper than comparable Oyster, HR, etc.


7. Company no longer exists so no factory support.


8. Somewhat awkward cockpit with a big wheel which is hard to get around.


9. Super carpy laminated teak cap rails which fall apart after a few years. Just unbelievable they would use these here.





Those are the main points. You'll find more information in the archives.

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Have you considered buying an Oyster 53?

I see what you did there :-)

[kurtwray]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

What kind of "well-known issues"? I have been sailing a 2001 Moody 54 for more than 9 years and tens of thousands of miles, and I'm not aware of any. Methinks the broker is trying to sell you something he has.


However, like all boats, they do have pluses and minuses. There are several threads on this model in Cruisers' Forum so if you do a search you'll find a lot of information.


In a nutshell, though:


Pluses:


1. Immensely strong structure. Probably the best boat structure I have ever seen -- absolutely first class with no expense spared, fully tabbed and through-bolted bulkheads, chain plates more massive than those on a Swan 90, etc. etc. etc. This is an important thing if you plan to use the boat in tough conditions.


2. Top shelf rig and deck equipment. Moody were competing hard with Oyster with this boat and tried to outdo them here.



3. Very good deck -- Moody invented the now popular CAD/CAM thin glued down no screws deck, and in fact the only part of the Moody company to survive was the deck operation, which now builds the decks for Discovery, Oyster, etc. They are really good and really durable, no deck leaks from screws, etc. etc. Mine are in amazingly good shape after 17 years of service, and have at least 10 more years left in them.


4. Very good electrics and mechanical installations.


5. Very good sailing performance.


6. Some nice touches like thick plexiglass companion way hatch and counterbalanced sliding washboard, powered exhaust over the stove, etc. etc.





Minuses:


1. Joinery is not up to the standards of the rest of the boat. It looks very good, with a lot of solid teak or quality marine plywood with teak veneer, even some book-matched panels, but the hardware is just total carp, and it is some work keeping the joinery looking good in a boat which is used a lot. Really disappointing.


2. Despite the excellent jumbo dorades, the salon ventilation is not very good -- nothing opens except two smallish hatches. The front windows of the raised salon are small and do not open; this is much inferior to the way it's done on Oysters.


3. Poor deck storage. But this is shared by virtually all similar boats.


4. No place to store dinghy except in davits. Big problem for blue water sailing. Obviously shared with many other boats.


5. Limited inside storage for long distance cruising with a large crew.


6. Not particularly good value for the money; not really cheaper than comparable Oyster, HR, etc.


7. Company no longer exists so no factory support.


8. Somewhat awkward cockpit with a big wheel which is hard to get around.


9. Super carpy laminated teak cap rails which fall apart after a few years. Just unbelievable they would use these here.





Those are the main points. You'll find more information in the archives.

Many thanks for taking the time to respond. I was hoping to hear from you as you obviously have a lot of experience with this boat.

I am sure the Jeanneau dealer was trying to sell me a Jeanneau! He could have been a bit more subtle about it though.

[Tillsbury]

Yes, I would agree that not only is Moody considered way above Jeanneau, but the 54 is one of their best boats. Not super cheap, but the important thing is that they're worth continuing to spend money on to maintain and improve. Although if someone offers you an oyster 53 for less then you should consider it ��

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Have you considered buying an Oyster 53?

Oyster 53 is a great boat, and Ken has one for sale


I considered his very boat when I was buying my Moody.



Be sure to have a look.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Tillsbury

. . . . the important thing is that they're worth continuing to spend money on to maintain and improve. Although if someone offers you an oyster 53 for less then you should consider it ��

That's an important aspect to keep in mind of higher end boats -- they are more likely to be worth continuing to spend money on them as the years go by. And you WILL spend money on them


With mass produced boats like Jeanneaus (one of my favorite mass produced boat, by the way), you have to consider whether it is not better to use them like cars -- buy new or a couple of years old, and sell off and buy a different one every 4 or 5 years. Rather than continuously upgrading and renovating, which is costly and a lot of trouble. There is a lot to be said for that approach. But it can be quite risky to buy an older mass produced boat, because it is much easier to get into a situation where the boat is worth less than the cost of renovation.



The cost of maintenance of an aging $1 000 000 boat is quite the same as the cost of maintenance of an aging $300 000 boat -- and that is very much the point.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

The cost of maintenance of an aging $1 000 000 boat is quite the same as the cost of maintenance of an aging $300 000 boat -- and that is very much the point.

No, that must be incorrect, it can’t be true, cause so many are so sure that it costs 10% of the purchase price per year to maintain a boat, so therefore the $1,000,000 must cost more than three times as much to maintain as the $300,000 boat.

I maintain that a well built, quality boats costs less to maintain than a poorly built one, its far easier to work on, ease of access is much better, and due to the higher quality build, it needs less maintenance.
There is a reason why they last so long and attain such great age.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

No, that must be incorrect, it can’t be true, cause so many are so sure that it costs 10% of the purchase price per year to maintain a boat, so therefore the $1,000,000 must cost more than three times as much to maintain as the $300,000 boat.

I maintain that a well built, quality boats costs less to maintain than a poorly built one, its far easier to work on, ease of access is much better, and due to the higher quality build, it needs less maintenance.
There is a reason why they last so long and attain such great age.

The % of purchase price rule of thumb only applies in average cases.



I meant to say "of the same size and equipment" -- an important proviso.

[ontherocks83]

Originally Posted by Tillsbury

Yes, I would agree that not only is Moody considered way above Jeanneau,

Seconded.

Comparing a Jeanneau to a moody is like comparing a Kia to an Audi.

[kurtwray]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

What kind of "well-known issues"? I have been sailing a 2001 Moody 54 for more than 9 years and tens of thousands of miles, and I'm not aware of any. Methinks the broker is trying to sell you something he has.


However, like all boats, they do have pluses and minuses. There are several threads on this model in Cruisers' Forum so if you do a search you'll find a lot of information.


In a nutshell, though:


Pluses:


1. Immensely strong structure. Probably the best boat structure I have ever seen -- absolutely first class with no expense spared, fully tabbed and through-bolted bulkheads, chain plates more massive than those on a Swan 90, etc. etc. etc. This is an important thing if you plan to use the boat in tough conditions.


2. Top shelf rig and deck equipment. Moody were competing hard with Oyster with this boat and tried to outdo them here.



3. Very good deck -- Moody invented the now popular CAD/CAM thin glued down no screws deck, and in fact the only part of the Moody company to survive was the deck operation, which now builds the decks for Discovery, Oyster, etc. They are really good and really durable, no deck leaks from screws, etc. etc. Mine are in amazingly good shape after 17 years of service, and have at least 10 more years left in them.


4. Very good electrics and mechanical installations.


5. Very good sailing performance.


6. Some nice touches like thick plexiglass companion way hatch and counterbalanced sliding washboard, powered exhaust over the stove, etc. etc.





Minuses:


1. Joinery is not up to the standards of the rest of the boat. It looks very good, with a lot of solid teak or quality marine plywood with teak veneer, even some book-matched panels, but the hardware is just total carp, and it is some work keeping the joinery looking good in a boat which is used a lot. Really disappointing.


2. Despite the excellent jumbo dorades, the salon ventilation is not very good -- nothing opens except two smallish hatches. The front windows of the raised salon are small and do not open; this is much inferior to the way it's done on Oysters.


3. Poor deck storage. But this is shared by virtually all similar boats.


4. No place to store dinghy except in davits. Big problem for blue water sailing. Obviously shared with many other boats.


5. Limited inside storage for long distance cruising with a large crew.


6. Not particularly good value for the money; not really cheaper than comparable Oyster, HR, etc.


7. Company no longer exists so no factory support.


8. Somewhat awkward cockpit with a big wheel which is hard to get around.


9. Super carpy laminated teak cap rails which fall apart after a few years. Just unbelievable they would use these here.





Those are the main points. You'll find more information in the archives.

Hi Dockhead, I am still pondering. Out of interest, what furling system does your Moody have and are you happy with it?

Thanks in advance

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by kurtwray

Hi Dockhead, I am still pondering. Out of interest, what furling system does your Moody have and are you happy with it?

Thanks in advance

Selden. Headsails on S400's, main on a Selden Furlin mast.

Works very well, bulletproof and jam free, but on a boat this size I would prefer powered furlers.

[JPA Cate]

Hello, Kurt,

Dockhead suggested you search for more info on the Moody 54 here on CF. If you want to do that, you will get the best results by using the CF Custom Google search, found in the drop down menu for the Search button.

Ann

[kurtwray]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Hello, Kurt,

Dockhead suggested you search for more info on the Moody 54 here on CF. If you want to do that, you will get the best results by using the CF Custom Google search, found in the drop down menu for the Search button.

Ann

Thanks Ann, I have struggled finding information.

Kind regards