Moody 44-2 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Moody 44-2 means looking at Bill Dixon's second-generation 44-foot cruiser, built by Marine Projects in Plymouth between 1991 and 1996 with 114 produced. She is a fin-keel, skeg-rudder masthead sloop of 23,631 pounds with a shoal 4'11" draft, offered as center- or aft-cockpit and known as a solid, small-crew-handled bluewater cruiser.
Layouts on the Used Market
The standard MkII interior sleeps up to eight: aft owner's cabin with en-suite head, forward double with shared head, and two saloon singles around a U-settee and nav station. An alternative layout replaces the forward double with two smaller cabins — one with upper-and-lower berths, one with a V-berth — raising capacity to ten but cutting forward storage and headroom. Buyers should decide early whether they need the extra berths or the lost stowage, as the forward cabins in either plan show lively motion and the aft upper/lower sits opposite the engine space with associated noise.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats carry Kemp aluminum spars with Furlex headsail and often Selden in-mast furling, a Whitlock steering conduit, and recessed Lewmar hatches. The original Lewmar 8C is underpowered for the headsail's reefing strain, so a self-tailing upgrade is a common and worthwhile improvement. The gas locker was built for butane bottles and will not take U.S. aluminum cylinders, so stateside buyers must plan an adapter or European-style tanks. A sugar-scoop transom, double lifelines, and flush deck plumbing including a saltwater bow shower are typical cruising fittings rather than rare additions.
What to Inspect
The galley has no opening port for cooking ventilation and its counter is mostly reefer lid, so confirm the fridge seals and hinge wear anchor. Check the cockpit seat backs, which measured only 10 inches above the cushions from new. Verify the gas-bottle locker dimensions against your intended U.S. aluminum bottles, which the lockers do not accommodate anchor. Inspect the Lewmar 8C reefing winch for strain and consider the self-tailing conversion. Examine the sound-insulated engine room and its automatic extinguisher, and the balsa-cored decks for any moisture given the boat's age.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
No specific regions are stated for typical availability. For a buyer, the checklist is short: confirm layout choice against berth count versus stowage, test the galley reefer clearance and ventilation gap, measure the gas locker against your bottles, and budget for a reefing winch upgrade. A clean, standards-built 44-2 remains a sensible ocean-capable family cruiser.
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
9 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moody 425 | 41.67' | $ 88,257 | 42 | 9 |
| Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42.2 | 41.99' | $ 79,160 | 25 | 3 |
| Morgan Yachts Morgan 44 | 44' | $ 95,000 | 23 | 1 |
| Moody 36-2 | 36.75' | $ 88,257 | 17 | 5 |
| Moody 37 | 37' | $ 66,301 | 17 | 1 |
| Moody 42 | 41.79' | $ 62,013 | 12 | 1 |
| Moody 39 | 38.58' | $ 54,244 | 12 | 2 |
| Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42 | 41.01' | $ 89,638 | 11 | 4 |
| Oyster Yachts 42 | 41.83' | $ 201,393 | 7 | 2 |