Design and Construction
What distinguishes the Halberdier from many later motor-sailers is that Hill treated it as a genuine sailing yacht first. The hull is a classic long-keel form with an external iron ballast keel anchor, 7,710 pounds of ballast set in a 20,383-pound displacement, and a 28-foot waterline under 36 feet 1 inch overall with an 11-foot 1-inch beam. That long-keel pedigree, paired with a powerful rig, gives the boat the sea-kindly manners one expects of the type rather than the compromised compromise so often tagged onto a "motor-sailer" label. The deck superstructure is of sandwich construction, while the hull itself is solid moulding — a first-class mould by Marine Construction — and the cockpit is self-draining, a practical detail that speaks to the boat's intended coastal and offshore use.
Rig and Handling
Most Halberdiers left the yard ketch-rigged, though a sloop was offered as an option. The standard ketch carries 890 square feet of sail area across mainsail, jib, and mizzen, while the sloop alternative totalled 703 square feet with main and genoa. Either way the boat was conceived with a fairly powerful engine and a semi-enclosed wheelhouse, the combination that lets a true motor-sailer make passages under power when the wind fails without surrendering performance under sail when it fills. Yachtsnet's archive assessment credits the design as a true motor-sailer with genuine sailing performance anchor, a verdict that matches the builder's own positioning of the type as a quality yacht of good performance under both power and sail.
Accommodations
Below, the Halberdier was laid out for six berths across a forecabin, saloon, and aft cabin. The saloon holds a dinette to port with a table that lowers on pivoting brackets or an adjustable vertical leg to accept an infill and become a double berth, while the galley sits to starboard. The aft cabin originally held two single berths and a small en-suite heads with a pull-out washbasin — a layout touch that gave the owner's quarters a degree of privacy unusual in a 36-footer of the era. Two toilets came as standard, along with a refrigerator, hot water, and a pressure water system, equipment levels that reinforce the boat's motor-sailer comfort brief rather than a stripped racer's ethos.
Refits and Ownership
The engine room under the cockpit floor is generously proportioned — large enough in the original design to accept a 72 hp Perkins with room to spare, though most boats shipped with the standard 35 hp Perkins 4.107 diesel. That spare volume is a real asset for owners, simplifying servicing and leaving room for the auxiliary upgrades later buyers often want. Moodys ceased class production in 1973, but mouldings were still available and an unknown number of further boats were finished by other builders over the following ten or fifteen years, meaning a used Halberdier may carry non-factory fit-out worth scrutinising during survey.
The Verdict
The Halberdier 36 is a thoughtfully executed early-GRP motor-sailer that refuses to be merely a motorboat with sails. Hill's long-keel hull and substantial ballast give it the bones of a proper cruiser, while the ketch rig, wheelhouse, and well-appointed interior answer the comfort demands of the motor-sailer market. Low production numbers make any example a comparatively rare find, and the post-1973 non-yard completions add a wrinkle to provenance. For the sailor who wants a solid, roomy, dual-purpose 36-footer with period character, it remains a distinctive choice.
Pros
- Genuine sailing performance from a classic long-keel hull with external iron ballast
- First all-GRP Moody, moulded to Lloyds with solid hull and sandwich deck
- Six berths with en-suite aft heads and high standard equipment for the era
- Large engine room accommodating far more than the standard 35 hp diesel
Cons
- Only 29 original-yard hulls, plus unknown later completions clouding pedigree
- Long-keel form trades upwind agility for steadiness
- GRP hull and systems now demand careful survey and likely refit
