Design and Construction
Dixon drew a slightly more spacious hull than convention demanded for the class — a length-to-beam ratio that puts her roomier than the majority of comparable designs — without surrendering the responsiveness that makes the boat feel alive underfoot. The fibreglass hull requires only minimum maintenance during the sailing season, a practical virtue for owners who want to sail rather than sand. The Mark II introduced two substantive changes over its predecessor: a sugar scoop transom and a forward-facing chart table, refinements that improved both boarding ease and the navigator's comfort below. Wheel steering was offered as an optional extra, though most examples came with the tiller arrangement that contributes so directly to the boat's dinghy-like feel.
Rig and Sailing Character
The masthead rig is a straightforward, reliable choice — its advantage being that a given sail area can be carried lower and thus with a reduced heeling moment compared with a fractional arrangement. Carry 193 square feet of mainsail and up to 365 square feet on the No. 1 genoa and you have enough canvas to push the boat along in light airs while retaining the control needed in a blow. The displacement-to-length ratio of 271 places her firmly in the heavy cruiser category, yet on the water she does not feel heavy. The Yachting Monthly trial found the boat dipped and accelerated with each gust, carrying just enough weather helm to signal that she was properly harnessing the breeze. The rig is rated as slightly overrigged relative to similar designs — a characteristic that rewards the attentive helm in a breeze and produces thrilling sailing on the ear before the first reef becomes necessary. That reef, according to the owner interviewed during the Yachting Monthly test, goes in around 18 knots, the second at 25 — a sensibly conservative reef schedule for a family cruiser.
Accommodations
Six berths in thirty feet is a genuine achievement, and the layout makes it work. Forward, two single berths occupy the forecabin; the saloon provides two bench settee berths; the aft cabin — positioned immediately abaft the galley — converts from two singles in a V-formation to a double. The chart area sits to port with the forward-facing chart table that distinguishes the Mk II from its predecessor, complete with a navigator's stool and dedicated stowage. The galley occupies the starboard side, and the toilet compartment with marine WC and oilskin locker sits to port aft of the navigation station. Tankage is modest but workable: 30 gallons of fresh water and 20 gallons of fuel suit the boat's intended role as a coastal and short-passage cruiser rather than a blue-water passage-maker.
Performance by the Numbers
The capsize screening value of 1.95 means she could be accepted for offshore races under that formula — a useful benchmark of seaworthiness even if most owners will use her for coastal work. The theoretical maximum hull speed of 6.8 knots, achievable with the 28-horsepower Volvo 2003 diesel pushing her along under power at a calculated maximum of around 6.3 knots, sets realistic expectations. The motion comfort ratio of 24.7 sits just above average for the class, which means the heavy-cruiser displacement earns its keep in a seaway — she is a more settled boat in a chop than her spirited behaviour under sail in flat water might suggest. In light airs, the SA/D ratio of 15 means she is faster than only about a third of similar designs, so owners planning to race seriously will want to be realistic about her light-weather performance.
Handling and Manoeuvreability
The Yachting Monthly trial makes the point vividly: the reviewer could throw her from starboard to port, from fetch to fetch, without hardening in the sheets, so direct and immediate is her response. The fin keel provides the manoeuvrability that a long-keeled cousin simply cannot match, which matters when threading into tidal berths or negotiating a crowded marina. An aluminium tiller extension enables the helm to scramble up onto the weather coaming as the boat starts to heel — a detail that reveals the dinghy lineage in the most physical way. The bilge keel variant reduces draft to 3 feet 8 inches, opening up shallow anchorages and tidal harbours that the fin keel boat at 5 feet cannot access, and this makes the Mk II genuinely versatile across the tidal-harbour sailing grounds of the British Isles.
The Verdict
The Moody 31 Mk II is a boat that rewards an active, involved sailor. Bill Dixon gave her the bones of a responsive, well-mannered dinghy and Marine Projects wrapped them in a practical six-berth cruising interior that punches well above its waterline length. She is not the most refined cruiser of her era, and light-air racing against more modern designs will find her wanting, but for the owner who wants a lively, affordable thirty-footer with genuine cruising range and genuine sailing pleasure, she remains a compelling choice.
Pros
- Lively, dinghy-like helm response with meaningful weather helm feedback
- Six genuine berths in thirty feet, with two separate cabins
- Masthead rig with a wide sail wardrobe including storm jib
- Capsize screening value qualifies for offshore racing acceptance
- Bilge keel option opens shallow harbours and tidal anchorages
- Forward-facing chart table (Mk II distinction) is a genuine improvement for navigators
Cons
- Light-air performance is below average for the class — SA/D favours no more than a third of rivals
- Ballast ratio is below the median for the type, limiting ultimate stiffness
- Modest tankage constrains extended passages without frequent replenishment
- Spirited heel before the first reef requires an alert crew — not forgiving for short-handed sailing in a blow
