Moody 54 vs Hylas 54

[Hopefull]

Hi All
Just joined site and would value your comment on the above
boats. Both are 2001 with same spec.
It is my intention to buy in the next few months, keep in the
Uk for a year, just getting use to the boat, them down to the
Med for a couple of years.
So if anyone can give there view on either boat it would be
greatly appreciated. Things like maintenance spend and general
up keep.

Thanks

[S/V Illusion]

Having owned both (one was mine, the other my dad's), we would constantly compare. Long story short - it's a "coin flip". The H54 is prettier (obviously mine)...

[joemac4sail]

Both good boats, almost up there with a super maramu 2000.

[Bash]

Although the differences are subtle, they are there. You'll learn the most by contrasting the nautical architects who designed these two boats.

Moody 54 = Bill Dixon Dixon Yacht Design
Hylas 54 = German Frers German Frers: Welcome

[TJR]

Originally Posted by Hopefull

Hi All
Just joined site and would value your comment on the above
boats. Both are 2001 with same spec.
It is my intention to buy in the next few months, keep in the
Uk for a year, just getting use to the boat, them down to the
Med for a couple of years.
So if anyone can give there view on either boat it would be
greatly appreciated. Things like maintenance spend and general
up keep.

Thanks

Do you have any Grey Poupon?

[Dockhead]

Well, I have a Moody 54, which I bought on the rebound after failing to buy an Oyster 485 because of a terrible survey.

The Moody is a very good boat. Big advantage over the Hylas -- balsa cored hull, which makes it much stiffer and at the same time lighter. The Moody 54 hull rivals the Brooklyn Bridge for structural integrity (and the chain plates look like bridge components). Very tall mast (75') and very high sailing performance.

But the Hylas is a German Frers design, and no slouch, either. The hull is entirely in Twaron (the Moody is only Kevlar ahead of the keel). Has a fantastic nav table. On the other hand, the Moody has a fantastic galley, best I've ever seen on any sailboat.

Both leave you feeling a little "down in a cave", compared to Oysters with their higher salons and larger forward salon windows.

Moody has a particularly intelligent layout with a pilot berth and workshop/laundry in the aft cabin passage.

Both boats of exquisitely high build quality.

I think you wouldn't go wrong either way. I would look at Oyster 53's while I was at it, if I were you, also.

[Hopefull]

Thanks for the feed back, is there anything in particular that I need to look out for on either boat, clearly if an offer is accepted then hopefully a survey will pick anything up !!!!

[nesscapade]

Hi S/V. Which of the two boats have a better sleeping arrangement while under sail? I've read the Hylas doesn't have a very good arrangement for sleeping while under sail on a heel ( not that one might be doing much of that).

[CarlF]

Since these boats are both over 10 years old, you can expect during your ownership to start having some major repairs because things don't last forever. It's not a matter of "if" but "when". Depending on how much the builder thought ahead, these predictable jobs can have very different costs - for example, how much of the interior has to come out to replace a fuel tank.

The big ticket items are:

Teak deck
Engine
Stays and chain plates
Tanks

Carl

[Hopefull]

Thanks Carl
I guess the Teak deck is cosmetic, the others will need further investigation

Will keep you post on progress

J

[speciald@ocens.]

I have a 2002/2003 Taswell 58AS, a Bill Dixon design, for sale that is a much bigger, better sailing,and faster boat than both the 54's. We have sailed back and forth to the Caribbean on the boat to Annapolis 7 times with the Caribbean 1500 and Atlantic Cup - placing first overall and first in class in both more than once. the boat was built by Ta Shing - now making all the Nordhavn trawlers - a better yard than Queen Long that makes the Hylas. I am selling the boat through David Walters in Fort Lauderdale as ,because of health limitations, we have moved back ashore. I have listed the boat at a loss fo 695K as I no longer use the boat. The boat was 1.5m new and is off-shore equipped, no teak decks, power winches, Leisure Furl main, electric head sail furler, new canvas, etc, etc.The boat is in Fort Lauderdale and will move to Annapolis for hurricane season. See the add on Yachtworld or David Walters.com. P M me for more details.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by nesscapade

Hi S/V. Which of the two boats have a better sleeping arrangement while under sail? I've read the Hylas doesn't have a very good arrangement for sleeping while under sail on a heel ( not that one might be doing much of that).

From what I recall, the M54 has a berth/office on the stb side fwd. Other than that, the two boats were essentially equivalent in terms of sleeping - both allowed for lee boards in both the fwd and aft cabin centerline berths.

We did over 10k miles in the Pacific, the longest passage being 3 weeks. My opinion is that either would have been comfortable. The only difference I'd consider significant are the mainsheet winch location on the H was centerline while on the M it was off to stb and I never found the angles in the M's cockpit to be as comfortable but both are personal preferences.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

From what I recall, the M54 has a berth/office on the stb side fwd. Other than that, the two boats were essentially equivalent in terms of sleeping - both allowed for lee boards in both the fwd and aft cabin centerline berths.

We did over 10k miles in the Pacific, the longest passage being 3 weeks. My opinion is that either would have been comfortable. The only difference I'd consider significant are the mainsheet winch location on the H was centerline while on the M it was off to stb and I never found the angles in the M's cockpit to be as comfortable but both are personal preferences.

Sleeping at sea is not that good on either. Both have a pullman cabin with good single bunks with lee clothes, but after that you are on your own. The Moody forecabin is pretty hopeless for sleeping on passage, with a one-piece matress and cabentry on both sides. The aft owner's cabin would be ok if you fit a lee cloth between the two matress halves. The Hylas is the same, I think. The Moody has one more berth than the Hylas -- the clever passage cabin with pilot berth which is a good sea berth with a lee cloth. This space we call the "workshop/laundry", because it has space for all the tools and parts plus houses the washer/dryer, and the sea berth is actually just a bonus.

The Moody's mainsheet is located on the port side of the coachroof top, and is serviced by an electric winch together with the staysail sheet and vang. The traveller is aft of the cockpit, and is controlled by lines with their own winches -- a great improvement over simple cam cleats (I think the Hylas is the same). On the starboard side of the coachroof top you have mainsail furling lines, topping lift, and outhaul -- likewise with their own electric winch. The Moody has a total of eight cockpit winches, four of which are electric -- much better deck gear than the Oyster I almost bought (I think the Hylas has a similar setup).

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Hopefull

Thanks Carl
I guess the Teak deck is cosmetic, the others will need further investigation

Will keep you post on progress

J

The teak deck is the most important of these components. It costs more to replace them than a total repower.

The Moody has a computer designed and manufactured deck which is entirely glued down with no screws or bungholes. It is a really good system which does not create leaks. The deck operation of Moody was spun off into a new company which is the only part of Moody to have survived -- presently makes decks for Oyster and other high-end manufacturers.

The tanks should not be a concern on either Moody or Hylas -- by this generation, high-end boats like these already had very good tanks which should last for decades. The water tanks (950 liters) on the Moody are high density polyethelene made by Tek Tanks, a top maker of tanks. They should last forever. Likewise the holding tank. The diesel tank (680 liters) is aluminum and is mounted up out of the bilge so that it can't be corroded by bilge water.

Chain plates should not be a concern on either boat. Builders don't use steel plates as chain plates on boats of this size and class. The chain plates on the Moody 54 are massive stainless steel trusses which must weigh 50 pounds each. They are not bonded to the hull, but rather are connected to a massive ring beam with huge bolts like keel bolts. They should last longer than any of us will live.

[derekbreth]

Our Moody 54 has lee cloths on all the bunks apart from the forecabin. The master cabin has 3 - one ether side of the berth and one up the middle. I have never tried this one at sea but have tried the bunk room and one beside the engine and can confirm that they are very secure.

We bought our boat a little over a year ago and it had been a little neglected for a while but I have to say after sorting a whole bunch of irritating but resonably trivial issues its a fantastic boat. I can give you a long list of things to look out for if you are seriously looking at buying one.