Wooden Ships Comments on this John G. Alden Malabar Sloop
33′ John Alden Malabar Sloop built by the Wing on Shing shipyard in 1959.
The previous owner bought the boat and put her into the care of a well known Cornish boatyard specialising in wooden boat repairs, who carried out a very thorough and no expense spared refit which was completed in 2001. After that time the boat was used lightly each summer and has been wintered inside every year. The current owner has kept her up to a very good standard, again wintering her undercover every year, and has raced in various classic regattas on the south coast.
The refit involved stripping the boat back to a bare shell inside, changing or checking all fastenings and bolts, fitting a new interior with all new systems, complete new rig and all necessary gear. The deck was virtually new at the time of the refit so was not touched.
The Malabar is a very attractive design, typically American with the generous beam giving a lot of internal volume for her length. The performance of these yachts is surprisingly good and she has collected a lot of silverware in recent years.
An excellent example of the class that has been well maintained and upgraded and has a full inventory of equipment
Length on Deck 33’3”
Length Waterline 24’2”
Beam 9’9”
Draft 5’4”
Thames Tonnage 11TM
Construction
- Carvel planked in teak all copper rivet fastened to steam bent Canadian Rock Elm timbers.
- Sawn timber floors across the centreline side fastened to the heels of the frames.
- External lead ballast keel with bronze keel bolts, all new bolts in 2001.
- Yacht laid teak deck glued to a marine plywood sub deck. Seams are made up of epoxy mixed with graphite, a modern technique used with glued teak decks. Varnished teak margin boards, covering boards and toe rail all round.
- Original varnished teak coachroof coamings. Coachroof decks new in the refit made of epoxy sheathed plywood.
- Varnished teak forehatch and sliding companion hatch. Scrubbed teak grab rails.
- Large self draining cockpit with varnished teak thwarts that lift to access lockers beneath. Copper lined cockpit sole with scrubbed teak gratings.
- Varnished teak tiller steering on a bronze stock.
Rig
- Masthead Bermudan sloop rig on a keel stepped hollow spruce mast.
- Mast was new from Noble Spars in 2001.
- Carbon fibre ‘park avenue’ type boom with single line in-boom slab reefing and a Selden vang. Double tailed mainsheet to aft end of cockpit.
- Stainless steel standing rigging new in 2001 to internal bronze chain plates.
- Harken roller furling headsail system with new forestay in 2023.
- Self tacking staysail on a Harken track that can be set in stronger winds.
- All hardware is Harken or Schaeffer.
- Sails include fully battened mainsail, yankee, staysail, spinnaker and asymmetric spinnaker with snuffer.
- Pair of Lewmar 40 2 speed non-self tailing primary cockpit sheet winches.
- Pair of Antal W28 self tailing secondary cockpit sheet winches.
- Single Antal W28 self tailing halyard winch on the coachroof deck.
Machinery
- Beta Marine 38hp 4cyl diesel installed new in 2020.
- Centreline Darglow Featherstream 3 blade propeller.
- Stainless steel fuel tank under the cockpit sole.
- Stainless steel water tank under forecabin berths.
- 3 x 12 volt 115ah batteries for engine start and domestics. Charged from the engine alternator with an Adverc charge regulating system.
- Mastervolt battery charger in use when connected to shore power. 240 volt onboard system with sockets.
- Calorifier connected to main engine for domestic hot water.
Accommodation
- 4 berths including 2 single settee berths and 2 single berths in the forecabin.
- Very smart joinery in varnished teak with buttoned navy blue connolly Hide upholstery. Most of the interior was new in the 2001 refit.
- Steps down from the companion hatch with galley to port and chart desk to starboard.
- Galley has a Force 10 2 burner gas stove with oven and grill, top loading 12 volt Frigoboat fridge and a single deep stainless sink with hot and cold pressurised water.
- Chart desk faces aft with a small seat and lifting desk to access chart storage space. Electronic navigation instruments around the chart desk.
- Half height teak bulkheads with vertical grab rails separate off the main saloon.
- Settee berth either side with good storage space below and behind the settee backs. Lockers with teak doors under the deckhead. Centreline dropleaf varnished teak saloon table.
- Taylors diesel cabin heater on forward bulkhead.
- Starboard side passageway going forward with large locker outboard under the deckhead.
- Heads compartment to port with a Jabsco manual sea toilet that discharges directly overboard. Stainless sink with hot and cold pressurised water.
- Varnished teak door can either close off the heads or the forecabin, this door is part of the original joinery.
- Forecabin has 2 single berths in a V-shape with forehatch above. Storage lockers under the berths.
Equipment
- Plastimo Contest steering compass
- Raytheon ST4000+ tiller pilot
- Raytheon ST60 wind, depth and speed
- Raytheon RL80C radar
- Furuno VHF
- Raytheon ST60 multi display by chart desk
- Raymarine GPS display
- Navtex
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- Pair of Lewmar 40 2 speed non-self tailing primary cockpit sheet winches.
- Pair of Antal W28 self tailing secondary cockpit sheet winches.
- Single Antal W28 self tailing halyard winch on the coachroof deck.
- Fully battened mainsail – 2001
- Yankee – 2001
- Self tacking staysail
- Harken staysail track
- Carbon fibre park avenue style boom with in boom slab reefing
- Selden vang
- Harken headsail reefing system with new forestay 2023
- Schaeffer blocks and hardware
- Marlow running rigging
- Mainsail/boom cover
- Spinnaker pole
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- 3 x 115ah batteries
- Adverc battery charge regulation system
- Mastervolt 12/240 battery charger
- 240 volt sockets in cabin
- Calorifier tank
- 80’ shore power cable
- Beta Marine 38hp K35328 diesel engine, new in 2020
- Darglow Featherstream propeller
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- 6 person life raft – needs servicing
- Halon auto engine space fire extinguisher
- Galley fire blanket
- Fire extinguisher
- Epirb
- Visiball masthead radar reflector
- Gas alarm
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- Lofrans anchor windlass with remote control
- 15kg Bruce anchor with 100’ chain
- Kedge anchor with warp
- Mooring warps
- Fenders
- Carbon fibre boat hook
- Wooden boat hook
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- Bunk and berth cushions
- Taylors diesel cabin heater
- Force 10 2 burner gas stove with oven and grill
- Frigoboat 12 volt fridge
- Galley equipment
- Lee cloths on bunks
