Moody cruising

Simon Coles, senior designer, production yachts at Dixon Yacht Design explains the brief for the Moody DS48.

“We set out to draw a boat that maximised the inside-outside feeling of single-level living, while handling the extra displacement from all the kit people want with them on a world-cruising boat.

“At the same time, she needed to be a boat that sailed well and handled a wide range of conditions,” he acknowledges.

Due to the deck saloon overlapping with the aft cabin, the Moody DS48 offers around 25 percent more interior space – as much as on a 58-foot yacht.

The Owners’ cabin boasts enormous volume thanks to the DS48’s full bow sections and features a very large (2-metres long and 1.87-metres wide), semi-walk around double bed, as well as its own head and shower compartment, plus ample cabinetry for clothes and personal items.

Hull #16 on display at SCIBS 2025, had the optional three-cabin layout featuring the roomy VIP cabin to starboard with two single bunks, the slightly sunken floor enhancing space and light. The guest cabin port has a single bunk with loads of storage space that would welcome on extended stays away from port. Both cabins have their own ensuites with separate shower.

In the two-cabin version you also get a walk-in wardrobe for the Owners cabin and a very large storage room that you can configure in many different ways with bench space, cupboards, shelving and room for extra freezers or a washer/dryer.

Walking along the dock the first thing you notice is the Moody’s high freeboard, accentuated by solid raised bulwarks and ­stainless-steel life rails that run from stem to stern.

As one reviewer noted: “High topsides, muscular bow sections and a formidable deck house make the Moody DS48 an imposing sight, even standing alongside her on the pontoon. Point her bows towards the open sea, set all 165-square-metres of her canvas and with 21 tonnes of boat in full motion, she becomes even more formidable.”

But that’s not to say the Moody’s lines aren’t pleasing – far from it. Hull #16 sports a gleaming ‘Infinity Blue’ paint job with light chines, minimum sheer, a plumb bow and stern, and a generous beam of 4.85 metres or 15’ 11’’ that is carried well aft.

The Owner of hull #16, an experienced and knowledgeable sailor, elected to have synthetic teak on the recessed side decks, cockpit floor, as well as on the folding helm seats, cockpit benches and the large swim platform, which is ideal for cooling-off and doubles as the launch pad for the DS48’s 2.8-metre tender.

The tender is securely housed in a stern garage and quickly deployed thanks to the Moody Smart Tender System that was introduced on the Hanse 510. This is a game changer for using the tender with an electric arm mounted in the tender garage that lifts the tender in and out of the water with a remote control.

The Moody’s outdoor entertaining capabilities haven’t been overlooked either. This DS48 has a wet bar with BBQ, sink, and fridge drawer handily located on the centre of the slightly raised stern deck, that in turn helps to keep the deep cockpit protected and dry.

Underway, a stand-out feature is how quiet is in the Moody’s expansive saloon. The crew can relax out of the weather but still control the big cruiser’s stately progress via an internal helm to port with its remote autopilot and electric engine control.

On extended passages, you can recline on the lounges, close to the galley and take-in the panoramic views as the Moody easily tracks along at 8 to 10 knots, both under sail and power thanks to a 150 hp Yanmar engine.

The saloon’s interior trim of floorboards from New Zealand Acacia, agreebly contrasts with the Oxford Blue of the lounges and traditional mahogany satin finish of the cabinetry, creating an overall feel of luxurious comfort throughout the DS48.

Each of the outside helms has duplicate switches for the sail controls and two powered winches, so that sails can be furled, unfurled and sheeted without leaving the wheel.

Both helms also have their own entirely separate rod and linkage set up to the rudder so if one breaks, the second will continue to work. The same goes for the autopilots, with each helm having its own unit.

The Dixon design team was very conscious of the Moody ethos which is a Moody has to sail as well as it looks.

To achieve that they worked really hard on reducing wetted surface with well-balanced lines.

The DS48’s flexible sail plan means it can shift gears quickly and includes a self-tacking jib, over-lapping genoa on a furler and an in-mast furling main. The sails are tri-cut cruising laminate from Quantum, while the rig is from Selden.

Hull #16 is currently docked at Pittwater where a plethora of extras such as a SEA.AI system integrating three cameras and an AI processor to better identify potential floating hazards, are being installed.

Full specs for the Moody DS48 here. For more information contact Anthony Bishop at anthony@windcraftyachts.com

windcraftyachts.com.au