S/Y CANTATA (2000)
Dick and Angela Holness bought bilge-keeled Cantata in 2015 to replace their Moody S31, primarily for the extra accommodation.
She came pretty standard but since buying her they have carried out myriad upgrades, including new instruments, AIS, MFD, Navtex and VHF extension, now all networked via NMEA2000. They have also added new batteries with a monitor, gas alarm, sound system, electric windlass, kicker strut, Autoprop, solar panels, electric toilet and new sails, which must make her one of the bestequipped Moody 36s around!
Asked if they’d had any problems, Dick says: ‘One fault at purchase was a leaking rudder stock housing, apparently a common problem on these boats and something I found I could largely fix myself. Also, some 36s, including mine, had a particular type of stanchion fixing through the toe rail that made them prone to leaks.’
Dick, who is co-author of the East Coast Pilot, started sailing dinghies at the age of 12 and continued to race them for nearly 50 years. He started cruising around 25 years ago and has owned a Hunter Horizon 26, Sadler 29 and the Moody S31.
Based on the River Swale in Kent, Dick and Angela sail predominantly up the East Coast, with occasional trips across the Channel.
‘Under sail, Cantata is quite docile really and probably under-canvassed,’ says Dick.
‘She’s not good in light airs, being quite heavy, but her sea-going qualities are impressive if we get caught out in worse conditions than expected. With 15-20 knots on the beam, though, she gallops along with a smooth, easy motion.
‘Although I occasionally single-hand,
Angela and I usually sail together, which is reasonably easy, although as we get creakier, I confess to doing rather more “genoa only” sailing than we used to. However, the change to a fully battened main has made life a fair bit easier. I would guess that the majority of 36s have in-mast furling and, bearing in mind our age, perhaps it might have been wiser to have found one with it. Cantata is very seaworthy and hasn’t really got any vices, although her high freeboard can catch the wind when manoeuvring in marinas.
‘She is very comfortable for long periods on board as there’s bags of space. But if we were off long term, I would probably upgrade and better insulate the fridge, plus install dinghy davits. I haven’t fitted heating yet as it’s so difficult to retrofit hot air ducting.
‘We did a long cruise down the French Channel coast a few years ago. Both crossings of the Dover Strait were wilder than expected but the boat just coped with it all. And with only 1.2m draught she’s a very capable ditch-crawler.’