Moody 30 v contessa 28

[Fastbikes1]

Hello, we have a budget of 14k for a small family cruser , to cruise the english coast and weeks away to france.
We are new to cruising and this would be our first boat.
Its needs to be kept an hour from North London, so we are looking at morings on the Crouch and North Fambridge.
We have looked a a few moody 30s and sadler 29, contessa 28, contest 31.
Some sheds and most overpriced,
We have now found a contessa 28 and a moody 30 in the same price bracket, condition.
I come from Dinghy sailing and would like something safe, comfortable and quick, but love to sail.

Any advice welcome
Regards Paul

[boatman61]

Personally I'd opt for the Moody.. if only for the extra headroom, me being 6'2".. Primrose designed good boats and to be honest the possible small gain in performance with the 28 is far outweighed by the better interior of the 30..
But.. horse's for course's..

[Dockhead]

Actually the Moody will be far faster than the Contessa -- D/L 206 and SA/D 16 compared to the Contessa's quite porky 300 and 15. Boatman61 is probably thinking of the lovely Contessa 32, not the tubby 28. However, the the little Moody is too light to be much good in rough weather. If the OP intends to be crossing the North Sea, he will be safer on the Contessa. But for coastal sailing in good weather, the Moody will be more fun, and they are strong and nicely built. Contessa 32 would be much better than either of them, but perhaps out of the OP's price range.

[robert sailor]

Many years ago I owned a Contessa 32..what a lovely sailing boat. As much as I loved sailing it, i was just too tall to ever get comfy.

[boatman61]

Dockhead.. he wants it for cruising the S Coast and the odd trip across to France.. not the N Sea in winter.

[boatman61]

Just checked some spec's and its heavier than the Bene First 30 and the French sail those all over the place.. 3200kg vs 3674kg..
You've been in big boats to long..

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Dockhead.. he wants it for cruising the S Coast and the odd trip across to France.. not the N Sea in winter.

Sure. The Moody would be lovely for that.

[bobmcd625]

What about the Sadler 29? David Sadler designed the fabulous Contessa 32 (as well as the earlier Contessa 26).

[pcmm]

The Contessa (correctly the 26) is a tiny boat to be using as a family cruiser. After that you'd have to step up to the Contessa 32 which is more of a race boat than a family cruiser.

[Fastbikes1]

We looked at 3 sadler 29s all of them were sheds.
We looked at trapper 26 and 500/501s but lack of Headroom and space and they were not all that.
We would like to take my grown up kids out from time to time.
I didn't like the cheap looking vanneer on a couple moody 30s it spoilt it but the space was better.
We were going to look at a Beneteau first 32 in budged.. but had a fair bit of feedback on AWB's and need a low draught.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by pcmm

The Contessa (correctly the 26) is a tiny boat to be using as a family cruiser. After that you'd have to step up to the Contessa 32 which is more of a race boat than a family cruiser.

The Contessa 28 is different from the 26. The 26 has a full keel; the later 28 already has a long fin keel similar to that of the Contessa 32. Doug Peterson, not Sadler design.

[picklesandjesse]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

The Contessa 28 is different from the 26. The 26 has a full keel; the later 28 already has a long fin keel similar to that of the Contessa 32. Doug Peterson, not Sadler design.

We bought a Contessa 28 2 years ago in The Netherlands and cruised along the coast and across the Channel etc. Was a great boat and sorry to have to sell it. A fair amount of room for a 28ft boat. Well built too but had only 2 very caring owners.