Moody 30 Buyer's Guide
The Moody 30 is a 1975–1979 Angus Primrose design built by Moody Yachts in 162 examples, a 30-foot masthead-sloop cruiser with a Volvo Penta MD11 diesel and a solid fiberglass hull on a lead-ballasted fin keel. For a shopper scanning the brokerage market, she represents a compact, accessible-draft coastal cruiser whose modest numbers mean patience is required to find a clean one.
Layouts on the Used Market
Production ran from 1975 through 1979 with 162 hulls, all to a single Primrose design brief. The boat carries a 26-foot waterline and just over 10-foot beam, with 60 gallons of water and 30 gallons of diesel capacity. The used fleet presents as a consistent interior plan rather than a model with split generations.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Chartplotters and autopilots are commonly fitted to used Moody 30s, reflecting modern coastal use. Solar panels are often seen as an owner-added supplement, while life rafts, cabin heating, electric winches, cockpit showers, and AIS appear only as occasional upgrades. A buyer should treat solar as a likely bonus and budget separately for heating or electric winches.
What to Inspect
The published record raises no model-specific structural defects for these 162 boats. A standard pre-purchase survey remains the buyer's safeguard against normal age-related wear on a 1970s fiberglass cruiser's sealants, rigging, and engine.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Used Moody 30s typically appear on the market in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. A fin-keel example sits at between 4.76 and 5.06 feet of draft by load, so confirm the keel variant on any candidate.
- Commission a full survey despite the age of the boat
- Verify the keel variant and actual draft against the load
- Confirm the Volvo Penta MD11 runs cool and without overheating
- Check the masthead rigging for age-related stretch
- Test the autopilot and chartplotter if fitted
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Moody 30. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 13 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 1 | $14,583 | — |
| Sep 25 | 2 | $18,465 | +26.6% |
| Oct 25 | 4 | $13,224 | -28.4% |
| Nov 25 | 1 | $16,746 | +26.6% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $11,865 | -29.1% |
| Feb 26 | 2 | $26,508 | +123.4% |
| Mar 26 | 2 | $11,236 | -57.6% |
| Apr 26 | 5 | $16,746 | +49.0% |
| May 26 | 4 | $18,554 | +10.8% |
| Jun 26 | 2 | $26,478 | +42.7% |
| Jul 26 | 3 | $14,002 | -47.1% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $39,204 | +180.0% |
| Sep 26 | 4 | $21,874 | -44.2% |
Where they're listed
Moody 30 listings appear across 6 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 21 (75.0%), followed by Netherlands and Portugal.
Country view
28 listings · 6 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $18,554 | 21 | 3 | 75.0% |
| Netherlands | $16,746 | 2 | 0 | 7.1% |
| Portugal | $14,002 | 2 | 0 | 7.1% |
| Spain | $26,515 | 1 | 0 | 3.6% |
| Ireland | $23,523 | 1 | 1 | 3.6% |
| Italy | $39,204 | 1 | 1 | 3.6% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
11 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moody 31 Mk II | 30.75' | $ 32,281 | 38 | 9 |
| Moody 30You are here | — | $ 18,225 | 28 | 5 |
| Moody 31 Mk I | 30.75' | $ 32,444 | 28 | 8 |
| Moody 27 | 27.67' | $ 14,247 | 27 | 10 |
| Moody 29 | 29.53' | $ 16,870 | 26 | 4 |
| Moody 35 | 34.5' | $ 62,972 | 22 | 9 |
| Moody 37 | 37' | $ 59,658 | 17 | 4 |
| Moody 34 | 33.42' | $ 42,357 | 15 | 2 |
| Moody 33 Mk I | 33' | $ 20,162 | 12 | 6 |
| Moody 333 | 33' | $ 29,829 | 11 | 4 |
| Moody 33 S | 33' | $ 23,856 | 9 | 3 |