Design and Construction
The Moorings 505 shares the Beneteau 50's essential structure: a solid fibreglass hull and a balsa-cored deck, with a fixed fin keel carrying a weighted bulb and an optional shoal-draft keel available from the factory anchor. Displacing 28,660 pounds and carrying 9,315 pounds of cast-iron ballast, she draws 7.55 feet on the standard keel and 5.92 feet on the shoal option. The 14.67-foot beam and 34.42-foot waterline give her the volume and stability expected of a Farr cruising hull of this era, and the 9.03-knot hull speed reflects a moderate-displacement form rather than a light racer. Beneteau's long relationship with Farr, running from 1988 onward across thousands of production boats, places this design inside a coherent lineage of performance-oriented cruisers rather than a one-off charter special.
Rig and Handling
Above the deck, the 505 is a masthead sloop with two sets of swept spreaders, aluminium spars, and stainless-steel wire standing rigging, and buyers could choose between standard and tall mast options anchor. The sail plan measures a total of 1,026.94 square feet, built from a 450.89-square-foot mainsail and a 576.05-square-foot jib or genoa on a 58.04-foot foretriangle. A PHRF handicap ranging from 57 to 90 places her among competent cruising performers rather than out-and-out racers. The spade rudder and fin-bulb keel combination, paired with the 80-horsepower Volvo Penta diesel fitted for docking and manoeuvring, make her manageable in close quarters despite the size.
Accommodations
The design was produced with interior layouts ranging from three to five cabins, sleeping six to ten people, but the preferred charter arrangement is the one most 505s carry: crew quarters with two bunk beds in the bow, two forward double-berth cabins, a U-shaped and a straight settee in the main salon, and two aft double-berth cabins, with five heads — one per cabin anchor. The galley sits to starboard in the main salon as a straight configuration with a four-burner cooktop, fridge, freezer, and twin-basin sink, while the navigation station faces it to port. That separation of galley and nav station across the salon is a charter-friendly layout that also serves a private owner who wants a dedicated chart table away from meal prep.
Equipment and Systems
Factory tankage is generous for extended cruising: 132 U.S. gallons of diesel and 264 U.S. gallons of fresh water support long passages or heavy charter turnover anchor. The Volvo Penta 80-horsepower diesel is sized for more than idle manoeuvring, reflecting the boat's origins in fleets where quick repositioning matters. The galley's freezer and double sink, alongside the four-burner stove, speak to a boat built to feed ten people without crowding — a trait that carries over well to owner-operated coastal cruising.
The Verdict
The Moorings 505 is a Farr-designed, Beneteau-built cruiser with the bones of a serious passage-maker wrapped in a charter-proven layout. The solid hull, bulb fin keel, and tall-rig option give her credible performance, while the five-cabin interior and large tankage make her either a capable private cruiser or a still-viable charter platform. She is not a lightweight racer, and the balsa-cored deck demands the usual moisture vigilance, but the fundamental package is coherent and well-documented.
Pros
- Farr-designed hull with solid fibreglass construction and bulb fin keel
- Optional shoal-draft keel broadens shallow-water cruising
- Five-cabin charter layout with five heads and separated galley/nav station
- Large factory fuel and water capacity for extended use
- Tall-mast option and competitive PHRF range
Cons
- Balsa-cored deck requires moisture inspection
- Charter-origin interiors may show heavy-use wear
- 7.55-foot standard draft limits some anchorages
