Moody 47-2 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

With production limited to a short three-year run, layout variation is limited, and the boat markets largely in its original factory configuration. The interior was designed to sleep seven in a full complement, with a typical arrangement of a forward owner's cabin, a separate aft cabin, and saloon-area berths for additional crew. The raised-saloon arrangement that Moody refined across its range in this period gives good standing headroom and natural light, and the long cockpit with its stainless-framed windscreen — or the optional GRP doghouse — is a defining exterior feature. Buyers should note the distinction between the standard in-mast furling mainsail configuration and the optional cutter rig with yankee and self-tacking staysail; both appear in the brokerage fleet, and the cutter option is prized by bluewater sailors for its flexibility and redundancy offshore. Shoal-draft examples with the 1.6-metre keel exist alongside the standard 2.06-metre fin-keel version and are worth distinguishing carefully if your cruising grounds include shallow-water anchorages.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Because the Moody 47-2 was marketed primarily as a passage-making liveaboard, examples on the used market tend to arrive well-equipped by previous owners who prepared them seriously for extended cruising. Autopilots — typically robust below-decks systems rather than tiller-pilots — are commonly fitted, and many boats carry chart plotters, AIS transponders, and SSB or satellite communication equipment added by owners during offshore campaigns. Watermakers are a frequent owner upgrade on boats that have seen extended Mediterranean or Atlantic cruising, and the generous freshwater tankage standard from the factory complements a watermaker well when one is installed. Genset installations appear on a meaningful share of the fleet, supporting the liveaboard electrical loads that the 78-horsepower Yanmar diesel's alternator alone cannot sustain at anchor. The in-mast furling system, while convenient for short-handed sailing, is an area where some owners have invested in upgrades or replacements, and its condition should be assessed carefully during a survey.

What to Inspect

The in-mast furling mainsail system deserves close attention: in-mast systems are known to be prone to jamming and require the sail to be cut with a flat, low-camber profile that reduces upwind efficiency, and any signs of extrusion wear, furling drum corrosion, or difficulty deploying and retrieving the sail should be investigated thoroughly. The Yanmar diesel is generally regarded as durable, but on a boat that may have spent years in continuous liveaboard or charter-intensive use, service records for injectors, heat exchanger, and impeller maintenance are worth requesting and verifying. Fibreglass hulls of this era require inspection for osmotic blistering below the waterline, particularly in hulls that have not been kept in antifouling on a regular schedule; a professional survey with moisture readings across the hull laminate is strongly advisable. The standing rigging, chainplates, and keel-to-hull joint should all receive careful scrutiny on any boat of this age — the fin-keel configuration transmits grounding and sailing loads to a concentrated attachment area, and any weeping or staining around the keel stub warrants immediate investigation. Teak decks, standard on this model, may be approaching the end of their serviceable life on earlier examples; check for soft spots, caulking failures, and deck-to-hull joint integrity beneath the teak overlay.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The small production run of the Moody 47-2 means it appears in the brokerage market infrequently rather than in volume. The strongest concentrations tend to be in the UK — where Princess Yachts built them and where Moody's traditional customer base was centred — and in Western European markets, particularly France, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic islands, where boats that completed offshore passages have settled. North American listings are uncommon but not unheard of, typically boats that completed transatlantic crossings and remained in the Caribbean or the Eastern Seaboard thereafter. Buyers should be prepared to travel to inspect examples, and should factor in potential import and certification costs if purchasing across jurisdictions.

Buyer's checklist before committing:

• Confirm keel variant (fin vs. shoal) and verify no unrepaired grounding damage
• Assess in-mast furling system condition; inspect sail profile and extrusion integrity
• Review full Yanmar service history and request records for impeller, heat exchanger, and injector work
• Commission a professional survey with moisture readings across the full hull laminate
• Inspect teak decks for soft spots, failed caulking, and sub-deck moisture penetration
• Verify chainplate and standing rigging condition; check for rust staining at deck penetrations
• Confirm watermaker, genset, and communication electronics are functional if listed as included
• Distinguish standard windscreen cockpit from optional GRP doghouse — spares and canvas availability differ
• Check that the cutter rig option (if fitted) includes a functional staysail track and traveller arrangement