Moody S38 Buyer's Guide
The Moody S38 on the brokerage market is a Bill Dixon-designed aft-cockpit cruiser built by Marine Projects in the late 1990s, offered as either a two-cabin owner's suite or a three-cabin layout. Ex-charter examples are common, and the boat rewards a careful look at a handful of documented early-production defects before any purchase.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available. The two-cabin version gives a full-width aft owner's suite with private head access and an emergency escape hatch to the cockpit, while the three-cabin layout splits the aft section into twin doubles. Either way the aft cockpit pulls the saloon aft, and the high bridge deck forces a steep companionway that you descend facing aft.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats now carry a chartplotter, autopilot, teak decks, bimini, heating and a furling main as standard inventory. Hot water and a dodger are often seen. Less common but worth noting as owner additions are a swim platform, life raft, inverter, spinnaker or asymmetric spinnaker, and radar. For a buyer the meaningful clusters are navigation (chartplotter and autopilot reduce short-handed strain), comfort (heating and teak decks signal bluewater trim), and sail handling (furling main plus a possible spinnaker for light-air range).
What to Inspect
Some early S38s developed delamination, cracking and bulging on the coachroof above the forward heads bulkhead, and the same fault appeared over the aft bulkheads where the bulkhead did not fit properly anchor. On those hulls also check the anchor locker drain and the topsides just below the stanchion bases for softness or bulging in the gelcoat. Run a hand over the coachroof and topside surfaces; any ripple or spongy feel signals the early-build defect that was corrected later in the run. Confirm the bulkhead tabbing is tight and dry where it meets the deck.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up across the United Kingdom, Spain, United States, Greece, Portugal and Montenegro.
- Check coachroof and topsides for bulging at bulkheads and stanchions
- Confirm anchor locker drain area is sound
- Verify layout matches intended use (owner suite vs twin aft)
- Test companionway descent for safe movement below
- Confirm furling main and autopilot function
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Moody S38. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 13 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25 | 1 | $95,109 | — |
| Apr 25 | 1 | $81,516 | -14.3% |
| Sep 25 | 6 | $87,796 | +7.7% |
| Oct 25 | 3 | $60,000 | -31.7% |
| Nov 25 | 3 | $92,578 | +54.3% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $90,360 | -2.4% |
| Jan 26 | 4 | $93,161 | +3.1% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $122,292 | +31.3% |
| Mar 26 | 3 | $93,867 | -23.2% |
| Apr 26 | 6 | $95,269 | +1.5% |
| May 26 | 4 | $97,210 | +2.0% |
| Jul 26 | 4 | $90,127 | -7.3% |
| Aug 26 | 2 | $70,811 | -21.4% |
Where they're listed
Moody S38 listings appear across 7 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 17 (47.2%), followed by United States and Spain.
Country view
36 listings · 7 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $95,048 | 17 | 3 | 47.2% |
| United States | $60,000 | 7 | 2 | 19.4% |
| Spain | $89,929 | 6 | 0 | 16.7% |
| Greece | $91,872 | 2 | 0 | 5.6% |
| Portugal | $98,983 | 2 | 0 | 5.6% |
| Montenegro | $87,338 | 1 | 0 | 2.8% |
| Turkey | $87,338 | 1 | 0 | 2.8% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bavaria Yachts C38 | 37.34' | $ 299,721 | 88 | 14 |
| Sabre 38 | 37.83' | $ 49,999 | 49 | 17 |
| Dufour Classic 38 | 37.58' | $ 78,604 | 47 | 12 |
| Moody S38You are here | — | $ 92,578 | 37 | 6 |
| Beneteau First 38 | 40.2' | $ 34,819 | 34 | 7 |
| Morgan 38 | 37.67' | $ 69,000 | 5 | 1 |