Moody 38 (90s) Pre-survey inspection

J

Joel Levy

Registered Guest
Hi all and thanks for letting be a guest here for now,
I am looking to buy a 38cc which is on sale in Greece. It is British registered and had 4 owners since 1994. Before I decide to commission a survey, I will go an inspect her. I would value any pointers on what weak points I should look for on this model, as well as any general ones for Moody boats.
Thanks so much in advance
Joel
 
Seacocks - dezincification
Exhaust Elbow replaced (engine hours / poor performance or overheating) - probably VP2040 or similar
You might look at the keel Bolts - but unless really terrible they’ll probably be a clean up and protect. - unless already done
Window leaks through the joint in the end of the frames in the saloon
Mast compression post corrosion
Cracks or damage at the mast compression base.
 
Hi Joel,

Take a straight edge (e.g. steel rule) with you. Use it to check whether the plinth under the mast step has been depressed at all (indicates a problem with the wooden pads at the top and or bottom of the mast compression post) and to check for any bulges in the side decks around the chainplates (indicates a problem with the marine ply part bulkheads to which the chainplates are bolted. This second issue is caused by water ingress causing the marine ply to rot, so the bolts can pull through the timber. It's worth also checking, as well as you can, the sealing of the little stainless plates screwed to the deck around each chainplate. In severe cases, the cabinets down below, behind which the chainplates are hidden, show signs of suffering from damp. It's not possible to see the bolting itself without either removing the cabinets or cutting inspection holes in them.

The other thing that suffers is the teak decking in the cockpit - it was originally teak faced ply and tends by now to be suffering delamination. Many owners will have replaced it before now with solid teak, which should have a good life, even in the Med, if the boat has a bimini. Any problems in this area will be hard to miss.

Peter.
 
Last edited:
Peter Wright said:
Hi Joel,

Take a straight edge (e.g. steel rule) with you. Use it to check whether the plinth under the mas step jas been depressed at all (indicates a problem with the wooden pads at the top and or bottom of the mast compression post) and to check for any bulges in the side decks around the chainplates (indicates a problem with the marine ply part bulkheads to which the chainplates are bolted. This second issue is caused by water ingress causing the marine ply to rot, so the bolts can pull through the timber. It's worth also checking, as well as you can, the sealing of the little stainless plates screwed to the deck around each chainplate. In severe cases, the cabinets down below, behind which the chainplates are hidden, show signs of suffering from damp. It's not possible to see the bolting itself without either removing the cabinets or cutting inspection holes in them.

The other thing that suffers is the teak decking in the cockpit - it was originally teak faced ply and tends by now to be suffering delamination. Many owners will have replaced it before now with solid teak, which should have a good life, even in the Med, if the boat has a bimini. Any problems in this area will be hard to miss.

Peter.
Click to expand...
Good stuff Peter! Thank you! I'm in the same place as Joel was back then. Junior sailer, in love with Moody 38. Visiting one 1996 specimen soon enough. Prepping my own pre-survey notes and this is gold! Cheers!
 
Hi Bernado,

One more possible problem, but not frequent, is the plinths on which the genoa sheet turning blocks are mounted. In boats which are sailed hard, you start to see cracks in the gel coat in the radius where the plinth joins the deck. If dismissed as cosmetic and the boat is still sailed hard, it gets worse. In the most extreme case I have read of, the plinth was pulled off the deck. By sailed hard, I mean all out ocean racing. Many options for repair stronger than the original, all within the capability of a good shipwright. Only thing to look for are cracks in the gel coat around the plinths.

The keel studs, their nuts and backing plates are of carbon steel, not stainless, so young surveyors used to stainless steel keel bolts / studs are surprised to find they have rusted a bit, probably due to salt water getting into the bilge when drawing the log impeller to clean weed off it. In the vast majority of cases this is of no structural significance - they are 24 mm bolts so a lot of steel has to rust away before you significantly affect the joint strength. This cosmetic problem can be put right with a wire brush and a pot of Hammerite. If you get achance to see her lifted out and the weight put down on her keel (e.g. in a cradle, where most f her weight is on the keel and the cradle arms are just to stop her falling over)watch the hull / keel joint. If this causes water to start oozing out, the joint will be in need of remaking in the coming couple of years and you will ot get rid of rust marks around the joint until the joint is remade. Not a Moody thing, this applies to any cast iron keeled boat.

Peter.
 
Andrew J Taylor said:
Seacocks - dezincification
Exhaust Elbow replaced (engine hours / poor performance or overheating) - probably VP2040 or similar
You might look at the keel Bolts - but unless really terrible they’ll probably be a clean up and protect. - unless already done
Window leaks through the joint in the end of the frames in the saloon
Mast compression post corrosion
Cracks or damage at the mast compression base.
Click to expand...
Hi Andrew,

May I ask what is meant with mast compression post corrosion? (sorry for the silly questions ;)
Is it something like this:
20230929_115433.jpg


Independently, is this on the picture a common issue of a M38 and is it something to worry?

Kr, Damir
 
Yes that’s the base of the post.

Some are mild steel and corrode at the base.

That looks in good condition and polished St Steel. (Or Chromed steel)

Check for any hairline cracks in the fibre glass base area.

There is normally a large hardwood block under this gel coated area - and if it has been wet for a long time - it rots and the post (which takes the rig load) compresses it and the glass fibre cracks.

Good luck

A
 
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