Moody 36-2 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The three-cabin layout is the more prevalent configuration on the used market. In this arrangement the centre cockpit creates two separated worlds below: a forward zone comprising a vee-berth forecabin, the saloon, galley, and nav station, and an aft zone with the owner's double cabin and a shared heads accessible from either corridor. A starboard corridor bunk between the two zones gives the boat a genuine four-berth cruising capability. The owner's aft cabin — wide, centrally mounted double berth, decent stowage, overhead hatch, and opening portlights — is the reason many buyers choose this boat over an aft-cockpit alternative of similar length.

Buyers had a choice of three keel options when new: deep fin, shoal fin with ballast bulb, and bilge keel. All three appear on the used market. The deep fin variant offers the best upwind performance; the shoal-draft bulbed keel sacrifices a little pointing ability but remains reassuringly stiff; and the bilge keel suits those who regularly take the ground or prefer drying moorings, though access to the keel bolts becomes more complicated on that variant. Understanding which keel suits your intended sailing ground is worth settling early in the search.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

The used fleet is generally well equipped. Autopilot, chartplotter, radar, and AIS are commonly fitted across boats that have been actively sailed — these have become baseline items over the years of successive ownership. Heating, a bow thruster, and a bimini are also widely found, reflecting both the boat's popularity as a liveaboard and the realities of northern European sailing conditions where most of the fleet originates. Hot water systems and engine-driven or solar charging setups appear on the majority of examples that have seen any serious cruising.

Solar panels, spinnaker or cruising chute inventory, in-mast or in-boom furling mainsail conversions, and upgraded electric windlasses are frequently encountered owner additions. The original triple-reefed semi-battened main is functional but many owners have moved to fully battened sails — a change that noticeably improves power and pointing — or to furling systems that ease shorthanded management, particularly for couples sailing without permanent crew.

Less commonly seen but worth noting as potential upgrades on better-equipped examples: lithium battery banks with inverters, electric winches, gennakers for downwind work in light air, and proper dinghy davits aft. Cockpit showers fitted to the transom are a practical addition for boats that spend time in warmer cruising grounds.

What to Inspect

The Moody 36 MkII rewards a thorough survey. Several recurring issues are well documented and should be specifically targeted.

The anchor locker drain is a known weak point. Surveyors have found fairly large blisters on the topsides of several boats, primarily around the portside anchor locker drain — caused not by osmosis but by water penetrating the drain hole and saturating the plywood stiffeners behind the hull. The area stays wet and can delaminate. Inspect the laminate around the drain carefully; keeping the drain free of debris and painting the area with epoxy to prevent water ingress is the standard remedy. Similarly, a persistent leak into the forepeak underfloor has been traced to anchor locker drain failure on at least one well-documented example.

Keel bolts deserve close attention. Moody used high-tensile steel studs, nuts, and backing plates rather than stainless steel. High-tensile steel is stronger but rusts, so keeping the bilge dry and ensuring the exposed fasteners are painted and rust-free matters. On bilge-keel variants access to the fastenings is particularly difficult due to water tanks positioned under the side berths.

The chainplates are a structural concern that has caused failures. The main cap chainplate anchorage within the saloon is largely impossible to inspect without removing the internal joinery, and surveyors are aware of at least two failures of the chainplates after fastenings behind those panels gave way. High moisture readings on the side decks in that area, combined with wet covers internally, should trigger a demand for inspection hatches — many owners have cut small access hatches in the sides of the covers to allow checking.

The rudder and skeg area warrants specific attention. There is a documented pattern of high moisture in both the rudder blade and the skeg around the support shoe, where fastenings have loosened over time. A surveyor familiar with Moodys will probe this area carefully.

The cockpit and deck coverings used a teak veneer on plywood rather than solid teak slats. This material delaminated on many boats, and on the majority of surveyed examples it has needed replacement by now. Budget accordingly or confirm what has already been addressed.

The Volvo Penta diesel fitted to these boats — typically the MD2040B — is generally regarded as a robust unit, but it suffers from limescale build-up in the coolant system and iron castings can become porous. Check for signs of overheating and have an engineer inspect the heat exchanger. The exhaust elbow will need periodic replacement as it clogs, roughly on a ten-year cycle. Most critically, the saildrive diaphragm seal will likely have been replaced several times on any boat of this age — verify the service history includes dated seal replacements, as it can be a costly repair if neglected.

Finally, stanchion fixings through the toe rail have been reported to cause leaks on some examples. Inspect each stanchion base carefully for ingress.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Moody 36 MkII circulates most actively in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, reflecting the boat's northern European origins and the strong cruising culture in those waters. Examples are also found throughout the eastern Mediterranean — particularly Greece — and in the Caribbean charter and private-cruising markets. A smaller number appear in North American listings, making it a realistic find on both sides of the Atlantic for a patient buyer.

These boats sell well when fairly presented because the combination of quality build, genuine offshore capability, and practical two-zone interior is hard to replicate at the same size. A boat in poor condition will be expensive to restore; a well-maintained example is worth the premium.

Before committing, work through this checklist:

• Commission a survey from someone with specific Moody or centre-cockpit cruiser experience
• Inspect the anchor locker drain area for delamination and blistering
• Confirm keel bolt condition and bilge moisture — ask for service records showing bilge management
• Verify chainplate access has been created and that the fastenings show no sign of failure or corrosion
• Check the rudder blade and skeg shoe for moisture and loose fastenings
• Inspect all cockpit and deck teak veneer for delamination and factor replacement costs
• Review the saildrive diaphragm seal replacement history with dates
• Pull the heat exchanger cover on the Volvo Penta and check for limescale and porosity
• Confirm exhaust elbow replacement history
• Test all stanchion bases for leaks at the toe rail fixings
• Assess electronics fit-out against your cruising requirements — well-equipped examples save significant outlay post-purchase