BoatsMoody 42

Moody 42

Masthead Ketch · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1977–1981

A masthead ketch offered with a center cockpit and an optional inside steering station for all-weather cruising

Designed by Angus Primrose, built by A. H. Moody Ltd.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Moody 42, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Sailing Supernova

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 32 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 32
CoastalBluewater

1.85 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.85
LightHeavy

257 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 257
EasygoingPowered-up

14.6 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 14.6
TenderStiff

27% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 27%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

  • Heavier than ~81% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~80% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~78% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2656 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
27.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Ketch
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.6
Displacement / length
257.5
Comfort ratio
32.2
Capsize screening
1.85
Hull speed
7.9 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1655
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1977–1981
Units built
54
Designer
Angus Primrose
Builder
A. H. Moody Ltd, Moody Yachts (A. H. Moody, Sons)

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Valiant Yachts 4212.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert Perry-designed offshore cutter featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a heavy displacement hull for blue-water stability
Passport Yachts 4212.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Stan Huntingford-designed cutter featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a stable, heavy-displacement hull for offshore work
Sirius 40 DS12.90 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 12.9-metre fractional sloop built since 2015, offering a deep 2.3-metre draft for performance and stability
Pearson Yachts 41912.73 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA short-lived 1970s production run designed for the charter trade, featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and shoal draft
Victoire Yachts 4212.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA modern evolution of the 42 Classic, featuring a redesigned deck and interior layout for contemporary cruising
X-yachts Xc-4212.81 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Niels Jeppesen-designed performance cruiser balancing a deep bulb keel with a displacement-heavy hull for offshore stability

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

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