BoatsMoody 42

Moody 42

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

A masthead ketch offered with a centre 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 Lady K Sailing

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.

What the fleet has seen

The Moody 42, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Moody 42 is a 12.7-meter masthead ketch designed by Angus Primrose and built by A. H. Moody Ltd. between 1977 and 1981. This sailboat features a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg, a 4.1-meter beam, and a 1.7-meter draft, displacing 10,976 kg.8:54 Moody Yachts are known for robust construction and quality deck hardware, transitioning from wood to fiberglass in the 1960s.2:09 The Moody 42 was offered with a center cockpit option, and a MkII version included an additional inside steering station.12:03 Aboard *Lady K Sailing*, the reviewer notes that older Moody models often have original Thornycroft diesel engines that owners frequently replace with Yanmar, Volvo, or Perkins units.6:55 Moody vessels occupy a premium market segment, comparable to Oyster or Discovery, and typically command higher prices than production brands.3:19

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1seen for sale
1channel weighed buying one
US$75,000Median asking

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

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
Matt Rutherford // Around the Arctic (in a Valiant This Time!)6:36from 59° North Sailing
Passport Yachts 4212.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Stan Huntingford-designed cutter featuring a skeg a skeg-mounted rudder and a stable, heavy-displacement hull for offshore work
REUNITED! These Brothers Sailed Around The World For 10 YEARS Together! Sailing Vessel Delos Ep. 4130:04from Sailing SV Delos
Endeavour 4212.88 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Johan Valentijn-designed masthead sloop with a skeg-mounted rudder, built for stable, comfortable offshore cruising
Sailboat SINKS in SPAIN - A Behind The Scenes Follow up with the Owner of Sea Dogs - Ep. 1140:57from Sailing Zephyr
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
We're Cutting Off our Keel (Part 2 of 4) | Step 4492:26from Sailing Uma
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
QUANDO O MAR CHAMA - A travessia da regata Recife - Fernando de Noronha2:04from Bora Velejar Galera
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
#9 | At Sea Reaction | ‘Encountering Storm Force 10’6:45from The Mariner

The family

Boats like this

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

Moody 52A 15.77-metre ketch with a long keel and a high comfort ratio, designed for stable, heavy-displacement blue-water cruisingMoody 36-1A 1977-1981 masthead sloop with a skeg-mounted rudder, designed for coastal stability and predictable handlingMoody 47A 14-metre masthead sloop with a 40% ballast ratio, engineered for stability and offshore passage-makingMoody 29An Angus Primrose-designed masthead sloop built for coastal cruising, featuring a fin keel and a stable, balanced hull

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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