Design and Construction
The Mk II's hand-laid fibreglass hull carries an iron fin keel and draws about 4 feet 5 inches, a shallow enough draft that the boat can tuck into marinas other deeper yachts cannot reach anchor. At 33 feet overall with an 11 foot 5 inch beam and a displacement near 10,500 pounds, she is a beamy hull for her length — the length-to-beam ratio of 2.87 places her as more spacious below than 79 percent of comparable designs. Ballast of 3,815 pounds gives a 36 percent ballast ratio, a figure higher than 27 percent of similar sailboats, while the displacement-length ratio of 203 sorts her among moderate racers, with 73 percent of peer designs weighing more. The hull's wetted surface runs about 344 square feet, and she settles at roughly 1,144 pounds per inch of immersion — numbers that speak to a substantial cruising hull rather than a featherweight racer.
Rig and Performance
Rigged as a masthead sloop with 580 square feet of sail area including the genoa, the Mk II is a moderately fast centre-cockpit cruiser, as Yachtsnet Ltd. described anchor. Her sail-handling geometry follows predictable proportions: jib and genoa sheets of about 33 feet with half-inch diameter, a mainsheet near 82 feet, and spinnaker sheets around 73 feet, all on 12 mm line. Under power she was offered with different engine alternatives, most commonly a 35 horsepower Thorneycroft (often cited as the four-cylinder 90) or a 36 horsepower Thornycroft diesel, both driving through shaft drives; period brokers describe the original Thorneycroft as a powerful, reliable and long-lasting power plant. With the 36 horsepower diesel her calculated maximum speed is about 7.3 knots, against a theoretical displacement-hull maximum of 7.2 knots and an 8 knot top with the Perkins-engined variant. Her Motion Comfort Ratio of 20.9 means she rides more comfortably than only 27 percent of similar designs, and a capsize screening value of 2.10 puts her outside the threshold for ocean-race acceptance — a coastal and family cruiser's profile rather than an offshore racer's.
Accommodations
Where the Mk I carried a full-width heads with basin and WC on opposite sides and a galley opposite the dinette, the Mk II moved the galley aft and shifted the aft-cabin hatch offset to port, with access to that cabin via the cockpit. A settee extending past the main bulkhead shortened the heads compartment, which on the Mk II places both basin and WC to starboard. The layout still delivers excellent accommodation for her size, per Yachtsnet Ltd. anchor: two cabins in the Mk II's own listing (three in the broader archive count) with six or seven berths, a galley, and a toilet facility. The aft cabins themselves hold two single berths and substantial storage, making the boat a genuinely roomy family cruiser.
Known Issues
No structural defects, osmotic breakdown, or systemic failures specific to the Mk II generation are stated in the available sources. The construction details — hand-laid hull, iron keel, solid fibreglass — are stated as built facts rather than problem areas, and the known difference from the Mk I is the accommodation reconfiguration, not a defect.
Refits and Ownership
Most examples still carry their original 35 bhp four-cylinder Thorneycroft engine, which sits under the cockpit sole. Normal access is through a large lifting panel in the forward part of the cockpit sole; for major work the aft section of the sole, which carries the binnacle, can also be lifted out. That serviceability, combined with the boat's reputation as an excellent family cruising yacht, makes routine ownership approachable for a 1970s–80s centre-cockpit design.
The Verdict
The Moody 33 Mk II is a practical, beamy centre-cockpit motorsailer whose Mk II revision improved the galley position and aft-cabin access over the Mk I without sacrificing the roomy, family-oriented cruising character that defined the line. Shallow draft, a reliable original engine package, and a hull that invites straightforward mechanical access make her a sensible used-cruiser candidate for sheltered and coastal waters.
Pros
- Beamy, spacious accommodation for her length, with six or seven berths and aft-cabin storage
- Shallow 4 foot 5 inch draft for easy marina access
- Original Thorneycroft engine described as powerful, reliable, and long-lasting
- Good engine access via lift-out cockpit sole panels
Cons
- Comfort ratio lower than most similar designs; not a soft-riding offshore hull
- Capsize screening value excludes her from ocean racing
- Mk II heads compartment smaller than the Mk I's full-width layout
