Moody is an English

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

of sailing yachts. It is originated in the former Moody shipyard in Swanwick that was founded in 1827 by John Moody. As of 2007, the brand belongs to German yacht builder HanseYachts AG,

Greifswald Greifswald (), officially the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald (german: Universitäts- und Hansestadt Greifswald, Low German: ''Griepswoold'') is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostoc ...

History

Repair yard and timber construction (1827–1964)

Moody's origins date back to the 19th century. In 1827, the boat builder John Moody founded a

shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...

company in Swanwick on the banks of river

Hamble Hamble may refer to: * The River Hamble in Hampshire, England * Hamble aerodrome on the banks of the River Hamble. ** Hamble-Warsash Ferry, a ferry service on the River Hamble * Hamble-le-Rice, a village on the river Hamble, close to the city of Sou ...

, which dealt in particular with the repair and overhaul of fishing boats. When John Moody died in 1880, he left the business to his son Alexander, who also started to build small dinghies. More than a century later, in 1935, the Moody shipyard produced its first sailing

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

s in timber construction. The first model, the Vindilis, was designed by T. Harrison Butler. The service operations continued in conjunction with the boat building activities. In addition, the site in Swanwick was expanded so that the company could build larger yachts. During this period the Moody family also expanded into marina ownership.

Sailing yachts made of fibreglass (1965–2004)

In 1965, Moody began to produce

fibreglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...

sailing yachts which were appreciated for their comfort and long distance suitability. With designs of

naval architects A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...

Laurent Giles John Laurent Giles (1901–1969) was an English naval architect who was particularly famous for his sailing yachts. He and his company, Laurent Giles & Partners Ltd, designed more than 1000 boats from cruisers and racing yachts to megayachts. Exam ...

, Angus Primrose and Bill Dixon, Moody developed into a leading European manufacturer of sailing yachts. The world oil crisis 1973 and the following slump on the powerboat market prompted Moody to join together with David King from Marine Projects (Plymouth) Ltd, the manufacturer of

Princess Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

motor yachts. The cooperation of the two companies was very successful. They produced up to 400 sailing yachts per year, 27 to 64 ft in length. Bill Dixon and Angus Primrose were responsible for the design of all models. Due to falling sales in the sailing yacht business, the companies disbanded the connection in 2003. During their 30-year cooperation, they had developed 39 models and sold 4,233 boats. In search of new production halls, Moody found a new partner with the VT Halmatic Ltd. A new model series was launched, consisting of the models Moody 49, Moody 56 and Moody 66.

Shutdown, sale of the brand, restart in Germany (2005–present)

In 2005, the founding family sold the yard to Premier Marinas Ltd, Swanwick. A year later, the

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

was discontinued. In 2007, German HanseYachts AG, Greifswald, acquired the brand and started to produce newly developed Moody sailing yachts. Furthermore, HanseYachts appointed Bill Dixon as naval architect for all new Moody models.

Model lines

Until the brand's

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by HanseYachts, Moody was known for its comfortable centre cockpit yachts. As of 2007, Bill Dixon developed two still comfort-stressed model lines with significantly modified concept: *the AC line (also: Classic) with aft cockpit and classic yacht lines above the

waterline The waterline is the line where the hull of a ship meets the surface of the water. Specifically, it is also the name of a special marking, also known as an international load line, Plimsoll line and water line (positioned amidships), that indi ...

( retro design) *the DS line with deck saloon and high bulwark

Current models (specs)

¹ standard version, ² shallow keel version,³ sail area to displacement ratio ¹ standard version, ² shallow keel version,³ sail area to displacement ratio
Naval architecture: Bill Dixon

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://www.hanseyachtsag.com/moody/us/ 1827 establishments Yacht building companies English brands Shipbuilding companies of England