Design and Construction
Primrose gave the Moody 40 a length-to-beam ratio of 2.97 and a ballast ratio of 37 percent, the latter reflecting an iron ballast of 6,680 pounds set in a 18,150-pound displacement hull. The hull itself is solid fiberglass, as is the deck, and the underwater profile carries about 462 square feet of wetted surface. With a load-dependent draft of roughly 5.5 to 5.8 feet she can tuck into most marinas, and her immersion rate of about 1,509 pounds per inch speaks to a heavily built hull that sits deep in the water and resists being pushed around by crew loads or stores.
Stability and Performance
The numbers tell a story of a moderate-displacement cruiser rather than a featherweight racer. Her DL-ratio of 236 places her among what reviewers categorize as moderate racers, while the SA/D ratio of 13.79 indicates a rig that is adequate for cruising but not overpowered. The Motion Comfort Ratio of 25.6 and a capsize screening value of 2.03 — the latter below the threshold accepted for ocean racing participation — mark her as a stable, comfortable hull form built for passage-making rather than all-out competition. Her theoretical hull speed is 7.6 knots, the conventional limit for a displacement hull of her length.
Rig and Handling
The Moody 40 carries a masthead sloop rig with a reported sail area of 595 square feet, paired to a fin keel and spade rudder. The 13.78 SA/D figure suggests she is no light-air screamer, but the moderate racer categorization implies she responds well enough under canvas for typical cruising grounds. The 32.5-foot waterline and 39.5-foot overall length give her the footing to hold her 7.6-knot theoretical maximum in a seaway, and the modest 5.5-foot draft keeps her manageable in confined harbors.
Accommodations
The known record provides no interior arrangement detail beyond the principal volumes implied by her 13.33-foot beam and 108-gallon water capacity against 53 gallons of diesel. The 25.76 comfort ratio and 2.03 capsize screening value suggest a hull tuned for liveaboard steadiness rather than sprint speed.
The Verdict
The Moody 40 is a Primrose-designed, Moody-built fiberglass cruiser of moderate displacement and conservative rig proportions. She is a comfortable, stable passage-maker with a shallow-enough draft for marina access and a heavily built hull, though her sail plan and capsize screening mark her as a cruiser first and not an ocean racer.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck with iron ballast at 37 percent ratio
- Stable, comfortable motion profile (Motion Comfort 25.6)
- Draft around 5.5 ft allows broad marina access
- Moderate-racer DL-ratio of 236 balances load-carrying and performance
Cons
- Capsize screening 2.03 excludes her from ocean race acceptance
- SA/D of 13.78 is modest for light-air sailing
- Fewer than 100 built; limited brokerage availability
