Moody 419 Looking for Info and Feedback on Selecting a Moody 419 or 425 for Long Distance (eg crossing Atlantic) Short Handed Sailing

[James Neirinck]

Hello and thanks for allowing me to join the group as a guest member

I’ve sailed all my life but all coastal and currently own a C&C 35 for the past 10 years.
Now I’ve got more time and want to start doing some longer distance sailing with an Atlantic crossing first on the list.
Have looked at quite a few sailboats (Nicholson 39, Idylle 13.5, Westerly Oceanlord, Contest 38) and am now considering a Moody 419 or 425. A friend suggested I look at the Moody line as I like a good performing sailing boat but also one that takes care of the crew, and can be handled by a short handed crew (ie: two of us). This would be a sailboat that I plan to own and keep for many years and put on a lot of miles traveling the world. So appreciate any info or feedback on whether the 419 / 425 would fit the bill or if you have any other suggestions.

Cheers. James

 

[Peter Wright]

Hi James,

We've not crossed any oceans on our 425 but have sailed Biscay in her but many others have sailed these boats across the Atlantic and the Pacific successfully.

The two models you mention are part of a series: M41, M419, M422 and M425, all basically the same hull, but a sugar scoop stern was added to the 422 & 425, creating a massive lazarette for gear, replacing the cockpit lockers so creating more space down below. The 425 has in mast furling as standard which, I believe they compensated for by making the mast a few inches taller. You can find basic details and dimensions of all Moodys in the Moody Archive:

Moody Boat Archive | Moody Owners Association

www.moodyowners.org

These are not racing yachts, but designed by Bill Dixon as comfortable cruising yachts with his trademark lightly balanced helm. In breezes less than 10 kts. they are sluggish unless downwind with a large kite, but at 10 kts. it's like something is switched on and with a little more get up to hull speed. They don't take to being heeled a lot and, if you push her too hard to weather, you find she speeds up when you tuck in a reef. They are known as great passage makers with a fairly smooth motion both in long swells and short North Sea chop.

The cockpit is small for a yacht of this size, but can comfortably accommodate 4 adults and it's positioned near to the centres of gravity, bouyancy and motion, minimising the motion felt in a seaway. Chart table, galley and aft heads are at the foot of the companionway, so the on watch folk can get to all they need without tramping through the whole accommodation in their wet gear.

These boats are now 35 - 40 years old so condition and value are dependant on how well they have been looked after.

You ask for other suggestions. The successor to the M425 wasvthe M44, a very similar hull but with 1' 9" longer waterline length making for even faster passage times She also has a more modern rig with swept back spreaders. However, most of these have a strange saloon layout with a couple of armchairs. On the Moody archive you will see that towards the end, they reverted to the traditional settee berth either side if you can get a M44 with this later layout, you have the ideal boat for long passages imho, but the 4 similar models discussed above come pretty close to this ideal.

Peter.

 

[James Neirinck]

Hi James,

We've not crossed any oceans on our 425 but have sailed Biscay in her but many others have sailed these boats across the Atlantic and the Pacific successfully.

The two models you mention are part of a series: M41, M419, M422 and M425, all basically thd same hull, but a sugar scoop stern was added to the 422 & 425, creating a massive lazarette for gear, replacing the cockpit lockers so creating more space down below. The 425 has in mast furling as standard which, I believe they compensated for by making the mast a few inches taller. You can find basic details and dimensions of all Moodys in the Moody Archive:

Moody Boat Archive | Moody Owners Association

www.moodyowners.org

These are not racing yachts, but designed by Bill Dixon as comfortable cruising yachts with his trademark lightly balanced helm. In breezes laess than 10 kts. they are sluggish unless downwind with a large kite, but at 10 kts. it's like something is switched on and with a little more get up to hull speed. They don't take to being heeled a lot and, if you push her too hard to weather, you find she speeds up when you tuck in a reef. They are known as great passage makers with a fairly smooth motion both in long swells and short North Sea chop.

The cockpit is small for a yacht of this size, but can comfortably accomodate 4 adults and it's positioned near to the centres of gravity, bouyancy and motion, minimising the motion felt in a seaway. Chart table, galley and aft heads are at the foot of the companionway, so the on watch folk can get to all they need without tramping through the whole accomodation in their wet gear.

These boats are now 35 - 40 years old so condition and value are dependant on how well they have been looked after.

You ask for other suggestions. The successor to the M425 wasvthe M44, a very similar hull but with 1' 9" longer waterline length making for even faster passage times She also has a more modern rig with swept back spreaders. However, most of these have a strange saloon layout with a vouple of armchairs. On the Moody archive yiu will see that towards the end, they reverted to the traditional setee berth either side if you can get a M44 with this later layout, you have the ideal boat for long passages imho, but the 4 similar models discussed above come pretty close to this ideal.

Peter.

Peter
Thanks for the detailed and thoughtful response. Much appreciated!
The centre cockpit will be new to me and they do seem small (using the Nic 39 and Contest 38 as my reference points) but they offer the benefits you noted.
I'll add the M422 and M44 to my search list.
I'm very comfortable with a spinnaker or cruising chute to use in light air as needed to move things along.
It's when things get rough, and I mean waves more than wind, that I want a boat that will handle it but also take care of the crew.
On that topic when ooking at the specs for these Moody's the Brewer comfort ratio looks a bit low at 28.5 to 29 (which of course will go up and improve when loaded up for off-shore passages). You noted they are have a fairly smooth motion in the swells so that is important.
Guess I'll just have to buy one and find out! Will see.
Thanks again for the input.

Cheers, James

 

[Peter Wright]

Hi James,

The Moodys handle big seas better than most yachts. The position of the cockpit reduces discomfort from the motion and the small sized high coaming design keeps the occupants secure -there isn't far to fall before you reach the other side. A wave breaking over the stern usually washes over the stern deck and aft cabin coach roof back into the sea rather than filling the cockpit (the coaming goes around the stern of the cockpit as well as the sides) so getting a cockpit full is fairly rare - it's never happened to us in this boat - but if a big sea does make it into the cockpit, the smaller volume means there is less weight of water there to upset her balance and it drains way fairly quickly through the good sized cockpit drains. An extra ton or so of water close to, but above her C of G doesn't make a lot of difference to a yacht weighing around 11 tons when fitted out for cruising, whereas two tons at the aft end of an aft cockpit boat weighing 8 tons can cause problems.

The only green water we've shipped in the cockpit has been thrown into the air by the bow slamming into short steep seas which, if you're unlucky, sails over the sprayhood and lands on the helmsman at the aft end of the cockpit. If you're luckier, it flies a bit lower and slams into the sprayhood and drains away over the side deck. This only happens when going to windward in a gale or more.

Peter.

 

[Micky Barnes]

James, The galley in a M41 & M419 (and I believe also in the M422) is very snug being on 3 sides rather along one side. It is therefore ideal for cooking at sea.

 

[Peter Wright]

Also on the M425 -you rarely need a bumstrap to hold you in place as there is a counter behind you as you face the cooker or the fridge, which the main counter is on top of. The 422 and the 425 are lmost the same layout down below while the 421 and 419 are very similar to eah other. You can see it all on the Moody Archive.

Peter.