Moody 27
PRICE £10,000-£18,000 YEAR 1981-1985
The smallest yacht to bear the Moody name, the Moody 27, filled a niche in the early 1980s when she was launched: she offered good handling and a spacious, well-designed layout in an attractive-looking yacht. Even by today’s standards, the Moody 27 packs a lot into her interior: there are five long berths – at a little over 1m wide (3ft 4in), the quarter berth would today be considered a spacious single rather than a comfortable double.
In the saloon is a central table and stowage outboard above the seat backs. To starboard, the 1.93m (6ft 4in) saloon seat disappears into a trotter box while to port, the seating runs the length of the saloon. The navigation space is aft on this side and, on the 160-odd boats that were built, many owners have made up many ways of incorporating a chart table in this space.
Forward of the saloon, through a vertically split door is a long, wide vee berth: it tapers to a point, but at almost 2m long it will sleep two adults comfortably, while still having stowage for their kit. Headroom forward is a bit low (1.57m) but the payback for the gently inclined coachroof has to be settled somehow. Sensibly (and sociably), the heads is aft, to port of the steep companionway steps, where the headroom is good and the forward cabin occupants need not be disturbed by any of the crew’s midnight ablutions.
The L-shaped galley sits forward of the quarter berth to starboard, making the access a little tight to it, but handy if its occupant wants to put the kettle on without getting out of their sleeping bag. The galley doesn’t have a lot of workspace, it’s basically the space made by the lid of the coolbox.
On deck, the cockpit is long and with the tiller – for the transom-hung rudder – aft and the mainsheet traveller crossing the cockpit just aft of the companionway, it’s clear too, with plenty of space for Sarah, Andy and their guests.
She has a masthead rig and if the wind gets up, her small-yacht feel will inspire confidence in her crew. This boat is a very viable option for Sarah and Andy.