New Moody DS48 destined for Downunder
by Windcraft Yachts 3 Mar 2024 02:01 EST
Moody DS48 © Windcraft Yachts
Moody's voluminous new DS48 proved to be a big drawcard for sailors at the recent boot Düsseldorf and one will be cruising Australian waters by the middle of next year.
The World Premiere of its new blue water cruiser, the DS48 at boot Düsseldorf, the world's biggest boating and water sports show, was a glitzy affair complete with jazz band, British themed catering and speeches from the designers.
There were queues to see the big cruiser right from opening bell, and they weren't dis-appointed. This is a totally new boat - new hull, new deck and a completely new interior. The first thing that stands out is the beam of the boat and the space in the aft cockpit area.
The DS48 cuts an imposing profile. At 15.42 metres or just over 50 feet, with a beam of 4.85-metre/16 feet, its configuration neatly maximises exterior and interior space on one level, similar to a catamaran, hence the term 'monomaran' which has been coined for the Moody DS range which also includes the award-winning Moody DS41 and Moody DS54.
DS stands for Deck Saloon, featuring a single-level walkthrough from the cockpit through to the galley and saloon, making the DS48 a rarity among sailing yachts that usually have saloons and galleys below the main deck.
Design brief
Simon Coles from Dixon Yacht Design was hand for the launch and revealed the initial design brief for this boat was to take the award-winning Moody DS41 and make it into a three cabin version. He also explained the design team spent a lot of hours on the boat's hull shape and performance.
"A key point with Moody is they have to sail as well as they look," he noted. "We worked really hard on reducing wetted surface with well-balanced lines. As well we very much kept in mind the Moody ethos of bluewater cruising with amazing 360-degree views, connecting the inside with the outside"
Layout and inside helm station
There are two interior layouts available; one with a purpose-built chart table and nav station to port, allowing for more space on the portside galley and the second layout (presented at the show) extends the saloon seating across the boat with a more symmetrical galley aft.
However even in the layout without the dedicated nav station as per the configuration displayed in Düsseldorf, you can still operate the boat from inside with engine start/stop, electric throttle, bow (and stern) thruster control and autohelm controls all available on the portside from the forward facing seat.
Sliding patio doors open to a spacious cockpit with a retractable sun awning that can be open or shut depending on conditions. Those doors, when opened, allow a seamless transition from the saloon to the great outdoors, essentially creating a single-level open floor plan on the main deck.
Galley
The saloon features a new galley design which maximises storage space and runs transversely across the boat as you enter on the same level as the aft cockpit. It means that at sea on either tack you can be working on the high or low side of the boat and you are bracing from side to side and not into or away from the working areas. It comes standard with loads of cupboard space and drawers for everything you would need for longer term cruising, and you can choose how much of this storage space you replace with additional drawer fridges (four is possible), plus freezer, microwave, dishwasher etc.
Two or three cabin versions
The Moody DS48 comes standard with a huge owner's cabin with ensuite and a second cabin (double or twin single) much like the Moody 41DS except the second cabin also comes with an ensuite. If you stay with the two-cabin option 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 freezers or washing machines. If you want the third cabin then you lose the owner's walk in wardrobe.
Walking forward on the new Moody there is a very large sunbed on the front and a seating area on the bow complete with dining table which would be ideal for private dining once you snugly tied-up in a marina berth.
Tender garage
If you are cruising in tropical and warmer waters the large swim platform is the ideal place to cool-off and doubles as the launch pad for the DS48's 2.8m tender, 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 ability of Moody's decksaloon yachts to combine more than generous interior and exterior space on a single level with impressive sailing performance has made them popular in Australia and New Zealand where the distances involved in cruising often means extended stays away from port.
The DS48 heading to Australia is hull #16 and is a three-cabin version and is extensively configured for liveaboard cruising with every option available. Windcraft Managing Director Anthony Bishop who was in Düsseldorf and admits to being a boat show veteran said he was extremely impressed by the latest addition to the Moody range.
"The new Moody DS48 is truly a remarkable design and I wasn't able to find anything to match it in Dusseldorf," he confides. "It would be the ideal yacht to cruise any ocean providing the occupants protection from the elements while enjoying single-level living in an elegantly crafted saloon with luxurious 360 degree water views."
Anthony says Windcraft has received a number of enquiries about the DS48 and while there's currently a 12 month lead time on slots he warns this may push out as popularity for the model increases.
For more information on the Moody DS48 go to windcraftyachts.com/moody