Design and Construction
The Eclipse 38 is a fiberglass monohull with a fin keel and spade rudder. She measures 37'6" LOA, with a 32'2.5" waterline and a 13'0" beam. Displacement is 16,250 lbs, including 6,500 lbs of lead ballast. That gives a ballast ratio of 40%.
Combined with a length-to-beam ratio of 2.89, those figures give her a moderate, purposeful stance rather than a stretched coastal shape. The displacement-length ratio is 218. Her wetted surface measures roughly 419 square feet, while an immersion rate of about 1,457 lbs per inch points to a hull that sits heavily and moves predictably under load.
Marine Projects built the boat in the early 1990s as part of its long partnership with Dixon, which had begun in 1981. The hull is solid, hand-laid GRP, in keeping with the yard’s late-period production.
Rig and Handling
The Eclipse 38 carries a masthead sloop rig with headsail and inmast furling systems, a configuration clearly intended for short-handed cruising. The helmsperson can steer from either the cockpit or the interior station. The deck layout was styled to give the saloon excellent all-round visibility from the interior helm as well as from the seating and dining areas.
Rig dimensions are I 47', J 15', P 41', and E 14.25'. The 292-square-foot mainsail is paired with a 485-square-foot furling genoa. Sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 16.1 using the reference sail and 19.1 with a 135% genoa.
Theoretical hull speed is 7.6 knots, with a calculated maximum near 8.0. A Motion Comfort Ratio of 24.3 and displacement-length ratio of 218 place the boat among moderate racers in the database classification. However, the capsize screening value of 2.05 would bar her from sanctioned ocean races.
Deck-Saloon Accommodation
The raised, U-shaped seating area to port makes the main cabin large, light, and airy. Its all-round visibility connects the interior helm directly with the living space—a defining feature of the Eclipse concept.
There are two main sleeping cabins: an owner’s stateroom forward and an aft guest cabin to starboard. The owner’s heads is to port and includes a marine WC, hot and cold water, and a separate shower. The main heads to starboard is similarly equipped.
The galley is to port, keeping the working triangle along one side of the saloon and leaving the raised seating and dining area open.
Engine and Systems
Auxiliary power comes from a Perkins M60 59-horsepower diesel. Fuel capacity is 72 US gallons, and water capacity is 66 US gallons. On a 16,250-lb hull, the 59 hp engine provides a useful margin for docking and dealing with adverse currents.
Draft is a modest 4'6", ranging to 4'79" under load. This allows the Eclipse 38 to enter shallow marinas that deeper 38-footers may have to avoid.
Period test reports appeared in Yachting World in April 1991 and in Motor Boat & Yachting, covering the boat during its launch window.
Verdict
The Moody 38 Eclipse is a scarce, purpose-built deck-saloon cruiser with a genuinely distinctive short-handed layout. Dixon’s twin-helm concept, good interior visibility, and furling rig make her manageable for a couple, while the shallow draft opens up tighter harbours.
The short build run of 24 hulls means finding one takes patience. Its capsize screening value of 2.05 also confirms that the boat was never intended for bluewater racing.
Pros
- Twin steering positions, including an interior helm
- All-round visibility from the saloon
- Headsail and inmast furling for short-handed sailing
- Shallow 4'6" draft for marina access
- Bill Dixon deck-saloon accommodation with two heads
Cons
- Only 24 built, limiting availability
- Capsize screening value of 2.05 excludes ocean-race eligibility
- Brief 15-month production run, with no extended development
