Design and Construction
The 64's hull is hand-laid fiberglass cored with inch-thick end-grain balsa bedded in a polyester bonding paste, with solid laminate retained at the stem, keel, skeg, and all through-hull penetrations. A complex web of glassed-in floors and stringers, along with structural bulkheads and bonded-in tray moldings, stiffens the structure fore and aft. The deck bonds and mechanically fastens to an inward-turning hull flange secured by Monel rivets driven through an aluminum backing plate, a detail that rewards close inspection and speaks to the seriousness of the engineering. A laminated teak caprail and a full-length rubrail complete the exterior. The result of Princess Yachts' meticulous CAD engineering and streamlined production is a hull that carries confidence into serious offshore conditions.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
Dixon chose a high-aspect masthead cutter rig — 22,000 pounds of ballast concentrated in a fin-keel bulb, an 88-foot mast, and a fine bow that minimizes wetted surface. The sailing picture that emerges is of a boat that commits fully to fast passages. Carrying full staysail and a reefed main in 25 knots of breeze, the 64 footed to windward at a dry and comfortable 6.5 knots without laboring through short steep seas. Open the canvas — main to just under the top spreader and the yankee unfurled — and she surged ahead at just under 10 knots on a beam reach in gusts above 20 knots. The rig geometry uses triple aft-swept spreaders with cap shrouds, upper and lower intermediates, and aft lower shrouds, with the lowers leading to a single deck fitting that keeps the side decks clear for fore-and-aft passage. The delivery crew found her light on the helm and averaging 9 knots on the trip from Plymouth. The 230-horsepower turbocharged Yanmar running at just over half throttle pushed the boat through Government Cut at a comfortable 8.6 knots, and the well-insulated walk-in engine room keeps the noise at bay.
Deck Layout and Cockpit
The 64 carries most of her 17-foot beam from midships all the way aft, and that beam pays for twin 42-inch wheels, each with its own bench seat and padded hip rest, divided by a cockpit step between the elevated steering stations and the main cockpit area. The lower cockpit seats six comfortably around a permanent drop-leaf table behind a fixed windscreen; the upper helm stations offer a better view forward and easier access to the side decks. One ergonomic compromise is that working the autopilot controls requires reaching through the wheel spokes, which matters when a quick disengage is needed. The foredeck is clear, with stainless-steel line guards protecting all cowls and doubling as handholds. A deep lazarette serves as a seagoing garage, a dedicated canister life-raft locker sits aft, and stainless-steel dinghy davits come standard.
Accommodations
Below, interior designer Roel De Groot paired chrome, polished stainless, and curved wood panels with a choice of satin-finished teak or cherry veneer to achieve a saloon that reads as genuinely elegant rather than merely large. The cabin sole is simulated teak-and-holly veneer. The centerpiece of the saloon is a big C-shaped dinette to port with a small sofa opposite, lit by hatches, opening ports, and generous saloon windows. The galley — one step below the saloon — is U-shaped, with an ergonomic triangular layout of stove, sink, and fridge and counter space that puts most home kitchens to shame. The aft owner's cabin stretches the full beam of the boat and takes a queen-size centerline berth flanked by settees; the twin-wheel arrangement directly enables the high headroom on either side of that berth. A passage aft of the nav station doubles as a study with its own desk and chair, or accommodates a temporary sea berth when crew numbers demand it. The Yachting World debut review noted that the galley provision includes a 40-bottle wine stage and space for a dishwasher, luxury touches that frame the target buyer accurately.
Known Issues and Niggles
For all the engineering competence on show, a few details fell short. The push-button drawer and cabinet catches used throughout the interior open when bumped, which in a seaway means locker contents on the sole at the worst possible moment. During sea trials, the area around the mast produced squeaks of protest under way, suggesting minor flexing between the mast support structure and the interior joinery — worth monitoring and addressing with careful blocking. The initial Southampton show boat displayed an uneven gelcoat finish and wood shavings in the lockers, attributed to an early hull being finished in a hurry; buyers inspecting used examples should check gelcoat quality across the hull carefully as these can be early-production anomalies. The 88-foot mast and 8-foot-6-inch standard draft close off shoal-water cruising and limit ICW passage options entirely — the 64 demands open-water sailing to realize her potential.
The Verdict
The Moody 64 is a serious offshore passage-maker dressed in luxury clothing. She will not satisfy the shoal-water explorer or the marina dweller counting on the same berth every night, but for bluewater cruisers willing to commit to deep water and long legs, she rewards that commitment generously. The ARC Class A win on hull number one was not a fluke; it reflects a genuine design philosophy that puts speed and seakeeping ahead of shallow compromises.
Pros
- Proven bluewater performance — ARC Class A winner from hull number one
- High-aspect cutter rig handles a wide wind range with minimal crew effort
- Walk-in engine room and well-insulated machinery spaces
- Full-beam owner's cabin with genuine queen-size centerline berth
- Exceptionally well-equipped standard specification
- Capable of sustaining fast passages with only two crew
Cons
- Deep draft and tall rig restrict cruising grounds to open water
- Autopilot disengage requires reaching through the wheel spokes
- Push-button cabinet latches are inadequate for offshore use
- Early production examples show gelcoat inconsistencies worth inspecting
- The high-stepping interior arrangement demands adaptation time
