A H Moody & Son Ltd fitted out the boats in Southampton using hulls moulded to Lloyds by Marine Construction (Woolston) Ltd. The Halberdier carried Moody’s reputation for joinery and finish into this new material age.
Design and Construction
Hill approached the Halberdier as a genuine sailing yacht first, which distinguishes it from many later motor-sailers. Its classic long-keel hull has an external iron ballast keel, with 7,710 pounds of ballast in a displacement of 20,383 pounds. The boat measures 36 feet 1 inch overall, with a 28-foot waterline and an 11-foot 1-inch beam.
That long-keel pedigree, combined with a powerful rig, gives the Halberdier the sea-kindly manners expected of the type rather than the compromises often associated with the motor-sailer label. The hull is a solid moulding—a first-class mould by Marine Construction—while the deck superstructure uses sandwich construction. The self-draining cockpit is another practical feature suited to the boat’s intended coastal and offshore use.
Rig, Power, and Handling
Most Halberdiers left the yard as ketches, although buyers could choose an optional sloop rig. The standard ketch carries 890 square feet of sail across the mainsail, jib, and mizzen. The sloop alternative totalled 703 square feet with main and genoa.
In either form, the Halberdier combined its rig with a fairly powerful engine and a semi-enclosed wheelhouse. That balance allowed it to make passages under power when the wind failed without surrendering performance under sail when it filled. Yachtsnet’s archive assessment describes the design as a true motor-sailer with genuine sailing performance, matching the builder’s presentation of the type as a quality yacht with good performance under both power and sail.
The engine room beneath the cockpit floor is generously proportioned. The original design could accommodate a 72 hp Perkins with room to spare, although most boats were delivered with the standard 35 hp Perkins 4.107 diesel. For owners, that extra space can simplify servicing and leave room for the auxiliary upgrades later buyers often want.
Accommodation and Equipment
The Halberdier provides six berths across the forecabin, saloon, and aft cabin. In the saloon, a dinette sits to port. Its table lowers on pivoting brackets or an adjustable vertical leg, allowing an infill to turn the dinette into a double berth. The galley is to starboard.
The original aft cabin had two single berths and a small en-suite heads with a pull-out washbasin. That arrangement gave the owner’s quarters a level of privacy unusual in a 36-footer of the period.
Two toilets were standard, along with a refrigerator, hot water, and a pressure water system. This equipment reflected the Halberdier’s comfort-oriented motor-sailer brief rather than the stripped-down approach of a racing yacht.
Production, Refits, and Ownership
Moodys ended class production in 1973, but mouldings remained available. An unknown number of additional boats were completed by other builders over the following ten or fifteen years. As a result, a used Halberdier may have a non-factory fit-out that warrants scrutiny during a survey.
The GRP hull and aging systems also now demand careful survey and are likely to require refitting. Provenance matters, particularly given the unknown number and varying origins of the post-1973 completions.
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 foundations of a proper cruiser, while the ketch rig, wheelhouse, and well-appointed interior meet the comfort demands of the motor-sailer market.
Its low production numbers make any example comparatively rare, and the non-yard boats completed after 1973 add a complication to provenance. For a sailor seeking a solid, roomy, dual-purpose 36-footer with period character, the Halberdier remains a distinctive choice.
Pros
- Genuine sailing performance from a classic long-keel hull with external iron ballast
- Moody’s first all-GRP yacht, moulded to Lloyds with a solid hull and sandwich deck
- Six berths, en-suite aft heads, and a high standard of equipment for the era
- Large engine room capable of accommodating considerably more than the standard 35 hp diesel
Cons
- Only 29 boats were completed by the original yard, while an unknown number of later completions complicate pedigree
- The long-keel hull trades upwind agility for steadiness
- The GRP hull and aging systems demand careful survey and are likely to require refitting
