Moody S38 for sale - Yachtsnet Ltd. UK yacht brokers

UK sailing yacht brokerage and boat sales

J111025	Moody S38			Lying	afloat Hampshire
Builder	Marine Projects, Plymouth, for Moody Yachts			Year	1996
Builder	Marine Projects, Plymouth, for Moody Yachts			Price	£75,000
LOA	39' 0"	Sail area	808 sq ft main and genoa	Brief details
LWL	32' 6"	Rig	Masthead sloop	The Moody S38 is one of the later and more modern production designs for Moody by Bill Dixon, aiming at better sailing performance than many earlier Moody models. It is an aft-cockpit yacht, unlike most of the larger Moodys which are centre cockpit. This 1996 example has been in the same ownership for 16 years, and is extremely well equipped with a very comprehensive inventory. She is for sale now only because of the owner's health issues. This is the shallow keel "Owners" version.
Beam	12' 11"	Cabins	2 plus saloon
Draught	4' 11"	Berths	6
Displacement	19,064 lbs	Engine	Volvo MD2040 diesel
Ballast	7,500 lbs *	BHP
Keel type	Shoal draught fin keel
* The Moody archive has a very clearly incorrect ballast figure for the S38. The 7,500 lbs quoted is believed to be correct.

While the Moody name traditionally indicated a fairly spacious but not especially fast cruiser, a few of their later designs were aimed at buyers wanting a bit more performance, and were clearly aimed at competing with the French designs becoming popular in the UK at the time. The Moody S31 and S38 were the two designs they produced for a number of years in the late 1990s.

The Moody S38 was designed by Bill Dixon, and was sold with either deep or shoal draught fin keels and masthead or fractional rig, the fractional rig examples being designated "Sport" with deep keel and a taller mast. The accommodation could have either a very large single aft cabin, or twin aft cabins with smaller berths.

This yacht for sale is the standard cruising version with masthead rig, shoal keel and the single aft cabin layout. As with all the "production" Moodys, the yachts were built and fitted out for Moodys by Marine Projects in Plymouth, who now operate as Princess Yachts. Around 60 Moody S38s were built in total. During this period Moody were also building and selling the older design Moody 38 centre-cockpit cruiser. The S38 was actually slightly beamier than the centre-cockpit Moody 38, with beam carried further aft, allowing a big aft cabin to be created without the raised coachroof of the older "cruisier" Moody 38 design.

'Yachting Monthly' report the design is ".... Above all she is a good all-rounder, capable of taking families offshore in safety or just pottering along the coastline in comfort."

Yachtsnet photographs and video October 2025

Click here for selected larger photos - opens in a new window

Photos ashore from June 2025

The shoal keel has a very

wide bulb (almost a wing)

at it's base to keep

ballast weight low

Above: Forward heads

The galley works well both at sea and in harbour, with plenty of space,

a big refrigerated coolbox and lots of stowage. The doorway to starboard aft

of the galley is to a large full height locker.

Above: the chart table is a good size, and the owner has added pop-on canvas covers over the bookshelves

under the switch panel, in case books get wet from someone wearing wet oilies and going to the chart table.

The aft heads has two doors, giving access either from the saloon or the aft cabin.

Below: the bowthruster under the forecabin berths, with heavy weather sails stowed.

Yachtsnet

photographs

October 2025

Lofrans 1000 watt

electric windlass

The bowthruster is a Vetus 651, installed in 2021, with proportional control -

not just on-off

The standing rigging was all replaced

in 2019 except for the forestay

which is from 2013

Below: removable full cockpit canopy

Inventory:
Engine details		Volvo MD2040 1,500cc three cylinder diesel, freshwater cooled, run 1833 hours
Fuel tank capacity		182 litres
Propeller		Two bladed on Saildrive with Ambassador ropestripper
Batteries		110AH engine start battery and 2 x 105AH services batteries new 2021
Battery charging/electrics		Engine alternator, shorepower battery charger, two solar panels and Rutland wind charger with Adverc controller.
Sails and deck equipment
Rig details		Masthead sloop rig, Selden spars and rod kicker. S?S standing rigging all dated from 2019 except forestay from 2013.
Mainsail		Crusader laminate mainsail with 3 reefs and sail cover
Genoa		Roller genoa
Genoa furling		Furlex
Spinnakers		Four spinnaker: two symmetrical and two asymmetric
Trysail		Orange trysail - unused
Heavy weather jib		Heavy jib - set on removable inner stay
Storm jib		Orange storm jib - unused - sets on removable inner stay
Primary winches		2 x Lewmar 48 self-tailing
Secondary winches		2 x Lewmar 44
Halliard winches		2 x Lewmar 30 self-tailing on coachroof
Bower anchor		35 lb Manson supreme with 45 metres chain and 45 metres warp
Kedge anchors		Fortress FX23 with 2 metres chain and 100 metres warp
Anchor windlass		Lofrans Cayman 1000 electric windlass
Steering		Wheel
Autopilot		Raymarine EVO 400 - new 2022
Steering compass		Plastimo Olympic 135 on binnacle
Warps & fenders		4 warps and 5 fenders
Miscellaneous		Full cockpit canopy, cockpit table
Navigation Equipment and instruments
Radar		B&G 3G radar
GPS/Chartplotter		B&G Zeus T7 at helm, also B&G Vulcan 7 under sprayhood, and third B&G plotter at chart table. Navionics UK/Europe charting.
Log/speed		Raymarine i-60 Speed, also B&G Triton
Depth sounder		Raymarine i-60 Depth
Windspeed/direction		Raymarine i-60 Wind
Other instruments		Raymarine i-60 Closehauled display, B&G Triton Speed/Depth and Garmin GMI-10 multi display
VHF radio		Standard Horizon GX1500 with DSC
VHF radio (handheld)		Standard Horizon HX851E with GPS and DSC
Satphone		Iridium Beam RST100 (account needed to use)
Safety/emergency equipment
Liferaft		Adec Arimar 9650-1 valise liferaft 6 man, new 2019, serviced to 2022 only.
Lifebuoy		2 x horseshoe with floating lights and danbuoy
MOB equipment		Lifesling
Radar reflector		Mast mounted Echomax
Bilge pumps		2 x manual pumps (cockpit and saloon) and 2 x electric pumps
Miscellaneous		4 x fire extinguishers plus auto extinguisher in engine space
Interior
Cabin layout		Forecabin, forward heads, saloon, aft heads, aft cabin.
Cabin heating		Eberspacher D4 blown hot air diesel heating
Berths		6
Water tank capacity		296 litres
Cooker		Smev 2-burner, grill and oven
Coolbox		Coolbox with Dometic CU-55 refrigeration
Heads		2 x Jabsco. 40 litre holding tank in forward heads
Miscellaneous
Dinghy	*	Available by separate negotiation
Outboard	*	Available by separate negotiation
Legs		Set of collapsible yacht legs from The Yacht Leg Company in storage bags - see photos here and here. The hull has the mounting plates fitted.
These particulars are believed to be correct but cannot be guaranteed and are subject to confirmation by the purchaser subject to still being available. For further information or to arrange a viewing, please contact Yachtsnet on 01326-212234 or

The particulars detailed herein are intended to give a fair description of the vessel but their accuracy cannot be guaranteed. These particulars are not a part of any contract or offer, and are supplied on the understanding that all negotiations shall be conducted via Yachtsnet Ltd., who are acting as brokers for the vendor. The vendor is not selling in the course of business unless otherwise stated. The prospective purchaser is strongly recommended to check the particulars, and where appropriate, at his own expense, to employ qualified agents to carry out surveys, structural and/or mechanical & electrical checks or tests

UK sailing yacht brokerage and boat sales

J111025

Moody S38

Lying

afloat Hampshire

Builder

Marine Projects, Plymouth, for Moody Yachts

Year

1996

Price

£75,000

LOA

39' 0"

Sail area

808 sq ft main and genoa

Brief details

LWL

32' 6"

Rig

Masthead sloop

Beam

12' 11"

Cabins

2 plus saloon

Draught

4' 11"

Berths

6

Displacement

19,064 lbs

Engine

Volvo MD2040 diesel

Ballast

7,500 lbs *

BHP

Keel type

Shoal draught fin keel

* The Moody archive has a very clearly incorrect ballast figure for the S38. The 7,500 lbs quoted is believed to be correct.

'Yachting Monthly' report the design is ".... Above all she is a good all-rounder, capable of taking families offshore in safety or just pottering along the coastline in comfort."

Yachtsnet photographs and video October 2025

Click here for selected larger photos - opens in a new window

Photos ashore from June 2025

The shoal keel has a very

wide bulb (almost a wing)

at it's base to keep

ballast weight low

Above: Forward heads

The galley works well both at sea and in harbour, with plenty of space,

a big refrigerated coolbox and lots of stowage. The doorway to starboard aft

of the galley is to a large full height locker.

Above: the chart table is a good size, and the owner has added pop-on canvas covers over the bookshelves

under the switch panel, in case books get wet from someone wearing wet oilies and going to the chart table.

The aft heads has two doors, giving access either from the saloon or the aft cabin.

Below: the bowthruster under the forecabin berths, with heavy weather sails stowed.

Yachtsnet

photographs

October 2025

Lofrans 1000 watt

electric windlass

The bowthruster is a Vetus 651, installed in 2021, with proportional control -

not just on-off

The standing rigging was all replaced

in 2019 except for the forestay

which is from 2013

Below: removable full cockpit canopy

Inventory:

Engine details

Volvo MD2040 1,500cc three cylinder diesel, freshwater cooled, run 1833 hours

Fuel tank capacity

182 litres

Propeller

Two bladed on Saildrive with Ambassador ropestripper

Batteries

110AH engine start battery and 2 x 105AH services batteries new 2021

Battery charging/electrics

Engine alternator, shorepower battery charger, two solar panels and Rutland wind charger with Adverc controller.

Sails and deck equipment

Rig details

Masthead sloop rig, Selden spars and rod kicker. S?S standing rigging all dated from 2019 except forestay from 2013.

Mainsail