Moody 54 Pre-purchase Considerations

[Chinook18]

Hello, I have a purchase agreement for a 2001 Moody 54, located in Long Beach, California, contingent on surveys/sea trial/etc this coming week.
Any info/advice any of you can provide going into the surveys would be so helpful. I posted a general question on the Moody Owners forum as well. From experience with prior sail and power boats I've owned, aluminum fuel tanks corrode given the opportunity. Have you had any issues, or have you heard of any issues with fuel tank corrosion/leaks involving Moody's of this size and vintage?
The blue water design of this vessel is what attracts me. I doubt I will be undertaking a Southern Ocean circumnavigation any time soon, but if I was ... what items would you have professional inspectors look at from your cruising experience? Standing rigging, spars, etc for sure, but what other items specifically? Like rudder/steering failure points? Engine water lift/exhaust issues?
Thanking you in advance for any help and advice!
Best regards,
Chris

[Dockhead]

Hi:


Just find a good surveyor and don't cheap out on the survey. Pay him for two full days. The surveyor will know what to check.



There aren't any particular weak points that I'm aware of, other than perhaps the joinery. The spars and rigging and deck gear are excellent (all the best stuff from the Selden and Lewmar catalogues), the structure is bulletproof, fine for the Southern Ocean. I had trouble with davits and transom platform (eventually threw the expensive davits away).


The tanks are all fine -- they are all beautiful Tek Tanks heavy plastic except the fuel tank, which is alu, but it's heavy alu plate and I haven't heard of anyone having problems. The key is that the fuel tank does NOT stand in the bilge where it will be in contact with water; it's enclosed in its own space forward of the engine room.



There is more information in the archives, e.g.



https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...-a-209343.html

[Chinook18]

Thank you very much Dockhead. Hearing that about the alum fuel tank in particular eases my concern. I have hired the toughest surveyor in town for a two day survey next week (the kind sellers hate, already had an excellent rigger do a complete rig inspection (went well btw), and have a third survey scheduled with marine diesel specialists for the yanmar main and northern lights genset. I understand even the best survey inspections cannot guarantee there won't be significant post purchase surprises .. just trying to increase the odds there won't be by asking the right questions.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Chinook18

. . . I understand even the best survey inspections cannot guarantee there won't be significant post purchase surprises ...

On the contrary, it is guaranteed there WILL be significant post purchase surprises -- it may be a Moody, but it's a BOAT, after all, and nearly 20 years old. Make sure and have a significant budget for upgrades and replacements, no matter how well the survey turns out.


I think you are right to think about that tank -- that is one surprise which would really suck -- you might ask the surveyor to use an endescope to get a look at it. I'm not sure how you would even get that tank out of the boat -- I doubt it would fit through the companionway.

[Chinook18]

Oh yes, this will be our 4th boat and I am well aware of what BOAT stands for. I have a few upgrades and replacements budgeted in already. Standing rigging and sails are original, so although they are in good shape, replacing them will be done before leaving our local cruising area. Upgrade I'm looking forward to is converting batteries to Lithium with Victron inverter/charger/management system, including solar. Existing AGM's are five years old, so approaching the end of their useful life. Despite the high initial cost of lithium, I am sold on their advantages over AGM. Any other Moody owners out there who have switched to Lithium?

[seamaiden]

I can't speak to technical points or the engine, but I sailed a Moody 44 well off the West Coast of Scotland (ocean cruising as opposed to coastal) for a number of weeks. She was a fabulous sloop, wonderful handling and feel; we frequently sailed in rough seas. If I could buy a sloop, I would buy a Moody. And I have sailed a variety of sloops, mostly off the northerly coast of Maine, so have some basis for comparison. Best of luck.

Originally Posted by Chinook18

Hello, I have a purchase agreement for a 2001 Moody 54, located in Long Beach, California, contingent on surveys/sea trial/etc this coming week.
Any info/advice any of you can provide going into the surveys would be so helpful. I posted a general question on the Moody Owners forum as well. From experience with prior sail and power boats I've owned, aluminum fuel tanks corrode given the opportunity. Have you had any issues, or have you heard of any issues with fuel tank corrosion/leaks involving Moody's of this size and vintage?
The blue water design of this vessel is what attracts me. I doubt I will be undertaking a Southern Ocean circumnavigation any time soon, but if I was ... what items would you have professional inspectors look at from your cruising experience? Standing rigging, spars, etc for sure, but what other items specifically? Like rudder/steering failure points? Engine water lift/exhaust issues?
Thanking you in advance for any help and advice!
Best regards,
Chris