Moody 42 (Dixon) Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Moody 42 means looking at a Bill Dixon-designed, Marine Projects-built 42ft cruiser aimed at long-distance passage-making yet entirely at home on coastal family trips. Her raised cockpit and big interior volume define the experience: she is a solid, high-displacement yacht whose 30 per cent ballast ratio and bulb keel suit a buyer who values stiffness and stowage over racing pace.
Layouts on the Used Market
The established boats carry a raised cockpit that sits well above the waterline, limiting forward sightlines but making life aboard secure in a seaway. Below, the saloon takes six for dinner or eight for drinks, and a proper navigation station with room for instruments is a standard feature rather than a rare refit. The afterdeck is open enough for sunbathing, a shower or dinghy inflation, and the foredeck stays flat and clear around twin self-stowing bow rollers. A deep chain locker handles over 190 ft of chain plus warp, so most examples need no ground-tackle upgrading to go cruising.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Brokers' listings typically show radar, autopilot, solar, bimini, dodger, chartplotter, bow thruster, hot water and AIS as commonly fitted, with furling main and life raft often seen. For a buyer, the power-and-energy cluster (solar, bow thruster, autopilot) signals a boat set up for short-handed anchor work, while canvas and sail-handling gear such as the furling main and dodger speak to temperate-climate comfort. Navigation is usually covered by chartplotter, radar and AIS. Less common but worth noting as owner upgrades are heating, lithium batteries, gennaker, electric winches, freezer, dinghy davits, teak decks, cockpit shower and EPIRB — none of which should be assumed present.
What to Inspect
The single documented shortfall is the severely restricted forward visibility from the cockpit, a function of its height above the sea rather than a defect to remedy. Check the skeg-hung semi-balanced rudder mounting for integrity, since that half skeg is what strengthens the installation, and confirm the electric windlass and twin bow rollers are intact given the flat foredeck's reliance on them. The deep boarding steps and fold-down ladder should be tested for safe water access.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Used Moody 42s routinely appear in the United States, United Kingdom and Malaysia. For the shopper, the checklist is short: verify the raised-cockpit sightlines suit your waters, confirm the windlass and chain locker are serviceable, and decide which commonly fitted systems (bow thruster, solar, autopilot) you require versus which owner upgrades (heating, lithium, davits) you would add. A sound example needs little beyond personal equipment choices to begin coastal or blue water cruising.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Moody 42 (Dixon). The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 6 | $149,900 | — |
| Jan 26 | 2 | $142,450 | -5.0% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $51,357 | -63.9% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $149,900 | +191.9% |
| May 26 | 3 | $78,000 | -48.0% |
Where they're listed
Moody 42 (Dixon) listings appear across 3 countries. United States has the most listings with 5 (62.5%), followed by Malaysia and United Kingdom.
Country view
8 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $149,900 | 5 | 0 | 62.5% |
| Malaysia | $76,000 | 2 | 0 | 25.0% |
| United Kingdom | $51,357 | 1 | 0 | 12.5% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
11 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moody 425 | 41.67' | $ 85,541 | 41 | 3 |
| Valiant 42 | 42' | $ 299,999 | 22 | 7 |
| Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42.2 | 41.99' | $ 75,786 | 22 | 4 |
| Moody 42 | 41.79' | $ 64,485 | 14 | 3 |
| Moody 47-2 | 46.5' | $ 234,977 | 14 | 4 |
| Camper & Nicholsons 42 | 41.83' | $ 20,000 | 11 | 6 |
| Rustler 42 | 42' | $ 459,946 | 11 | 4 |
| Moody 42 (Dixon)You are here | — | $ 142,450 | 8 | 0 |
| Comfortina 42 | 42.19' | $ 187,415 | 7 | 4 |
| Oyster Yachts 42 | 41.83' | $ 188,298 | 6 | 0 |
| Aphrodite 42 | 41.67' | $ 94,768 | 4 | 2 |