MOODY 46
PRICE £150,000-£225,000 YEAR 1998-2002
Quite a few yacht owners favour a centrecockpit design for blue-water sailing, often stating that being so far from the water proffers a feeling of security in the cockpit and ensures little, if any, spray hits the crew. It also enables the builder to fit in a massive owner’s suite aft.
Moody Yachts has always been king of the centre cockpit yachts and its Dixondesigned 46-footer was the start of a new breed of ocean-going yachts ideal for events such as the ARC and ARC World rallies, as well as long-term family cruising.
Moodys were almost always built like the proverbial, with thickly laid-up GRP hulls, heavy-duty deck gear and top-quality joinery below. The yacht exudes solidity with its plumb bows, tall topsides, high bulwarks and fixed windscreen. Going forward along her wide side decks is made easy thanks to well-placed handrails and high guard wires, and her foredeck and ground tackle are tough enough to handle constant anchoring in all weathers.
Available as a Bermudan sloop or cutterrigged with self-tacking staysail, the practical cockpit layout puts both headsail and mainsail sheets within easy reach of the helm. There is obviously less cockpit lounging space than the larger, twin-helmed cruisers of today, but the afterdeck and drop-down transom platform provide a well-engineered alternative.
Below, she has an excellent U-shaped galley, a large navigation station and chart table, roomy, warm and luxurious saloon and, of course, a simply massive ensuite aft cabin plus an almost equally plush VIP forecabin and a twin bunk crew cabin.
Under sail she has the feel and motion of a true ocean passage-maker. She shrugs off the waves with ease, her generous displacement providing the momentum to keep her going in a heavy seaway and she is surprisingly fast and stiff when beating to windward.