Design and Construction
The hull is solid fiberglass, and the deck is likewise solid fiberglass, with iron ballast carried in a fin keel. At 14,700 pounds displacement with a 5-foot draft that varies from about 5.09 to 5.39 feet depending on load, she draws little enough to enter most marinas while carrying the stability of a 2.01 capsize screening value. That screening figure places her outside the threshold for ocean-race acceptance, a point worth noting for any buyer imagining a bluewater racer rather than a cruiser. Her length-to-beam ratio of 2.92 makes her beamier than 82% of similar designs, and the displacement-length ratio of 243 puts her among "moderate racers" — 62% of similar sailboats are heavier. The wetted surface runs about 387 square feet, and the immersion rate of 1,289 pounds per inch means she settles predictably under stores and crew.
Rig and Handling
As a masthead sloop she carries a 506-square-foot sail plan on a 36-foot hull with a theoretical displacement-boat maximum near 7.3 knots and a calculated top speed around 6.3 knots. The standing and running rigging dimensions are well documented: jib and genoa sheets run about 36 feet at a 0.55-inch diameter, the mainsheet is roughly 90 feet of the same diameter, and the spinnaker sheet about 79 feet also at 0.55 inch. Those lengths speak to a cockpit laid out for manageable trim loads with standard-diameter line, not oversized offshore-spec ropes. The skeg-hung rudder and fin keel give a predictable, if not race-bred, helm character consistent with the moderate-racer categorization.
Accommodations
The beam of 12.3 feet, generous for the length, drives the interior volume that the length-to-beam comparison quantifies against her peers. With 72 gallons of water and 60 gallons of diesel, the tankage supports extended cruising without the cramped quarters of narrower 36-footers. The layout details beyond these proportions are not described in the available record, but the dimensional case for a spacious three-cabin-class interior is clear from the hull form itself.
The Verdict
The Moody 36-1 is a Primrose-designed cruiser of the late-seventies Marine Projects build: solidly built in fiberglass, beamy for her length, and modestly powered for predictable handling. She is no ocean racer by screening number, but her volume, ballast, and tankage mark her as a sensible used-classic cruiser for coastal and passage work.
Pros
- Roomy hull form — beamier than 82% of similar designs by L/B ratio
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck with iron-ballasted fin keel
- Shallow-enough 5-foot draft to fit most marinas
- Sensible 60-gallon fuel and 72-gallon water capacity for cruising
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.01 excludes her from ocean-race acceptance
- Unknown keel subtype in the record despite fin designation
- Moderate-racer D/L ratio means she is not a light-displacement performer
