Moody 38 Eclipse Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a used Moody 38 Eclipse means chasing a rare bird: only 24 were built between December 1990 and February 1992, all from Marine Projects in Plymouth to Bill Dixon's deck-saloon design. For a buyer, that scarcity is the defining context — these are not boats you trip over, and any example will likely have been owned by someone who valued the twin-helm, interior-visibility layout over resale ubiquity.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Eclipse 38 shares the same core plan: a raised deck saloon with U-shaped seating to port, a port-side galley, and an interior helm with excellent all-round visibility. Sleeping is split between a forward owner's stateroom and an aft guest cabin to starboard, with two heads — owner's to port with separate shower, main to starboard similarly equipped. The twin steering positions and furling rig (headsail plus inmast) are standard, as is the Perkins M60 59 hp diesel on 72 gallons of fuel and 66 of water. What varies boat to boat is the equipment fitted by owners, not the hull or interior architecture.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market these yachts commonly carry a bow thruster, which matters given the shallow 4'6" draft and twin-station docking. Solar, an asymmetric spinnaker, and dinghy davits are also commonly fitted, supporting short-handed cruising and tropical use. Navigation and safety kit typically includes radar, AIS, and a chartplotter, while hot water, a bimini, teak decks, and a life raft round out the comfort-and-survival cluster. None of this changes the boat's fundamentals, but a bow thruster and solar are the upgrades with the most day-to-day consequence for a couple handling her in marinas or at anchor.
What to Inspect
Inspection should follow normal used-sailboat practice for a 1990s solid-GRP Moody. The capsize screening value of 2.05 would bar the design from ocean races, and the displacement-length ratio of 218 places her among moderate racers rather than heavy voyagers. These are traits to understand, not faults to find.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The typical market for these boats is the United Kingdom, where the handful of survivors are most likely to appear. For a buyer, the checklist is short and shaped by the boat's nature:
- Confirm twin steering positions and interior helm visibility are intact
- Verify inmast and headsail furling operation
- Check Perkins M60 service history and 72-gal fuel capacity
- Expect shallow-draft marina access but not ocean-race certification
- Look for commonly fitted bow thruster and solar as practical bonuses
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Moody 38 Eclipse. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26 | 1 | $132,644 | — |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $126,075 | -5.0% |
Where they're listed
Moody 38 Eclipse listings appear across 1 country. United Kingdom has the most listings with 2.
Country view
2 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $129,360 | 2 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
7 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moody S38 | 39' | $ 91,475 | 33 | 8 |
| Moody 33 Eclipse | 32.5' | $ 62,906 | 30 | 8 |
| Moody 37 | 37' | $ 59,658 | 17 | 4 |
| Beneteau Moorings 38 | 38.25' | $ 51,000 | 14 | 4 |
| Nicholson 38 | 37.83' | $ 31,486 | 14 | 2 |
| Moody 39 | 38.58' | $ 52,963 | 10 | 1 |
| Moody 38 EclipseYou are here | — | $ 129,225 | 2 | 0 |