Swanwick on the River Hamble has been home to Moody-Yachts since the middle of the 18th century. These yachts embody 150 years of tradition and innovation.
John Moody fell in love with boats when he was a young child. His first effort at boatbuilding began in the courtyard of a house in Swanwick. When John Moody passed away in 1880, he left his business to his son Alexander who continued to build dinghies and fishing boats. It was John's grandson Alexander Herbert (born in 1860) who, together with his son Reginald, started doing maintenance work on boats at the beginning of the 20th century.
In 1934, Moody finally decided to build yachts themselves. Before laying down the first keel, Alexander Herbert Moody wrote that Moody Yachts were to be of only the highest quality materials and workmanship. To this day, nothing has changed. Since 2007, HanseYachts is setting new standards in the Moody tradition: Standard use of epoxy; innovative production techniques such as the use of a 5-axis milling machine; and their individual cabin system.
To this day, Moody has lived up to its excellent reputation among experienced sailors. Premier Marinas Limited, Marina Sales’ parent company, has been able to continue this tradition-rich commitment to excellence. Through its relationship with Premier, Moody entered a new era with innovative designs like Bill Dixon’s Moody Eclipse.
Since 2007, another well-established boat manufacturer is continuing the Moody tradition – HanseYachts AG. Already one of the biggest production boat manufacturers worldwide, HanseYachts is now adding deck saloon and centre cockpit yachts to their range of products. HanseYachts has been sharing their know-how and cutting-edge technology with Moody Yachts since the beginning of this year. The production process for the new Moody 45 uses a “cutting edge” 5-axis milling machine. As a result, the production process is now almost entirely automatic and accurate to the millimetre; and, of course, significantly faster than before. Such innovations represent a direct link to time-tested traditions. The brand will be successfully developed further with the help of long-term Moody designer Bill Dixon.
Bill Dixon is more than a naval architect. Each one of his designs is filled with life. Moody’s design concept is no exception. His yachts not only offer the highest comfort, they also prove their quality workmanship at sea. Moody yachts are renowned for sophisticated technology, an outstanding design concept, high-quality workmanship, functionality, and last but not least, impressive performance under sail.
Years of success give credibility to Bill Dixon and his partners. Until 2007, he worked with Premier Yacht Sales to give life to his designs. HanseYachts AG has now taken over this role.
Bill Dixon has been designing Moodys since 1981. Owners trust his work implicitly. This will not change in the future: Both traditionalists and individualists will still appreciate his designs. The market is changing, needs vary, and there are good reasons why tomorrow’s innovations will continue to strengthen the historic Moody brand.
Despite all changes, Hanse and Bill Dixon will still be committed to Moody’s central design concept – the deck saloon yacht! Here, Bill Dixon is the link between tradition and innovation. In the coming years, HanseYachts AG will embody Moody’s soul.