BoatsMoody 40 (Dixon)

Moody 40 (Dixon)

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1996–1998

A short-run 1990s cruiser featuring a fin keel and spade rudder, optimized for a balance of coastal performance

Designed by Bill Dixon, built by Marine Projects Ltd.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Moody 40 (Dixon), on the water

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

Footage from Podcast Maré Sonora ®

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

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

Capsize screening 1.87
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 270
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 13.0
TenderStiff

30% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 30%

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

  • Heavier than ~82% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~81% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2759 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
30.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
13.0
Displacement / length
270.3
Comfort ratio
32.0
Capsize screening
1.87
Hull speed
7.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1600
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1996–1998
Units built
40
Designer
Bill Dixon
Builder
Marine Projects 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.

Colvic Craft Victor 4012.19 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA John A. Bennett-designed masthead ketch also known as the Blackwater 40, built for steady, comfortable passage-making
From wreck to liveaboard exploration vessel, Colvic Victor 40 Blackwater edition.0:30from Reversing Entropy
Freedom Yachts 40/4012.32 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA David Pedrick-designed fractional sloop featuring a self-tending jib and a free-standing mast for simplified sailing
SAILING around the WORLD with HIS SAILBOAT and a PIANOfrom Piratas Aderiva
Dufour Yachts 405 Grand Large12.17 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12-metre cruiser featuring a 2.03m fin keel and a balanced displacement-to-ballast ratio for stable coastal passages
Dufour 405from SVN solovelanet
Hunter Marine 40.5 Legend12.24 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA B&R rigged cruiser featuring a shoal-draft wing keel designed for stable, comfortable coastal passage making
Back on the Water in Texas! Buc-ee’s, Broken Brakes & Baby’s First Sail VLOG 280 4K16:23from Sailing Sunday
Hunter Marine 41 DS12.29 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA deck salon cruiser featuring a high-volume interior and a B&R rig for simplified handling
The MASSIVE Hunter Deck Saloon 41from Practical Sailor
Hunter Marine 41 AC12.29 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn aft-cockpit cruiser featuring a B&R rig and a 12.29-metre hull designed for stable coastal performance
Hunter Legend 41 - A Yacht Delivery from Poole to Fleetwood. An Owner Assisted Passage.7:12from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Moody 38A 1990s masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, balanced for predictable handling and coastal cruisingMoody 422A 12.4-metre masthead sloop with a 40% ballast ratio, configured with a skeg-mounted rudder for directional stabilityMoody 34A 1980s mid-sized cruiser with a 40% ballast ratio, designed for stability and predictable handling in coastal watersMoody 425A 12.7-metre cruiser with a 39% ballast ratio, designed for steady performance and offshore capability

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