Design and Construction
The hull is solid fibreglass, carrying 3,675 lb of lead ballast in a fin-keel configuration with a skeg-hung rudder. At 9.37 m overall with a 7.75 m waterline, a 3.2 m beam, and a documented displacement of 9,966 lb, the Moody 31 Mk II sits in the "heavy cruiser" category by displacement-length ratio (about 271), yet its ballast ratio of 37 percent and a length-to-beam ratio of 2.93 give it a settled, purposeful profile. A bilge-keel version drew just 1.12 m, against 1.52 m for the fin, broadening the boat's reach into shallow harbours. The wetted surface of roughly 27 m² and an immersion rate near 930 lb per inch describe a hull that responds to loading but holds its lines. The capsize screening value of 1.95 and a motion comfort ratio of 24.7 place it among conventionally stable small cruisers of its day.
Rig and Handling
The Mk II is a masthead sloop with a modest but effective sail plan: a 193 sq ft mainsail, a 310 sq ft working jib, and a 365 sq ft No. 1 genoa. With the ISO reference sail its sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 15.0, rising to 17.9 with a 135 percent genoa, and the design carries more rig than 66 percent of comparable sailboats — slightly overrigged by the numbers, which helps explain the lively feel owners describe. Test sailors found her easily driven and a cinch to tweak, manoeuvrable in close quarters, and apt to sail like a dinghy, if a touch skittish. Owner reports put the first reef in at 18 knots of wind, with thrilling sailing on her ear before that, and the second reef at 25 knots. The theoretical displacement-hull speed is 6.8 knots, with a calculated max near 6.3. Wheel steering was an optional extra from the factory, and an aluminium tiller extension is a noted fitting.
Accommodations
Below, the Mk II earns its reputation as a proper small cruiser. Writing in Yachting Monthly, reviewers noted that few 30-footers offer standing headroom, a fully appointed galley, a proper chart table, and double berths in two separate decent-sized cabins — and the Mk II does. The forecabin holds two single berths; the saloon has two bench settee berths; and the aft cabin immediately behind the starboard galley carries two singles in a V formation with a double conversion. That yields six berths across three cabins. The chart area to port has the forward-facing table and stowage with a navigator's stool, while the toilet compartment sits to port just aft of the navigation area, with a marine WC. An oilskin locker rounds out the practical storage.
Known Issues
The Mk II shows no structural or systemic defects as a class. The sugar-scoop transom and forward chart table are the Mk II's defining revisions, and the optional wheel steering means some boats will have tiller-only control with an aluminium extension while others carry wheel steering. Bilge-keel variants trade draft for a different grounding and handling character. Prospective owners should simply confirm which keel and steering configuration a given hull carries, since those define the boat's behaviour more than any latent defect.
The Verdict
The Moody 31 Mk II is a thoughtfully laid-out Dixon design that punches above its length in livability, with a slightly overrigged masthead rig that keeps it spirited yet manageable. Its heavy-cruiser displacement and 37 percent ballast ratio lend steadiness, while the three-cabin, six-berth interior remains genuinely usable for a 30-footer. The main caveats are the skittish dinghy-like feel at the helm and the variability of factory options that a buyer must verify per hull.
Pros
- Standing headroom and a fully appointed galley in a 30-foot cruiser
- Six berths across three separate cabins with a proper forward-facing chart table
- Slightly overrigged masthead sloop that is easily driven and manoeuvrable
- Solid fibreglass hull with 37 percent ballast ratio and stable motion metrics
Cons
- A touch skittish and dinghy-like at the helm for some tastes
- Factory options (wheel steering, keel type) vary hull to hull and must be confirmed
