Design and Construction
Mull's 44 carries a fixed fin keel and an internally mounted skeg rudder, the sort of underbody that favors balanced helm and tracking over shoal-water access. The hull and deck are predominantly fiberglass with wood trim, a straightforward solid-laminate approach from the Belgian yard rather than a cored hull. As a development of the Kalik 40 with the hull lengthened, the 44 inherits the earlier boat's proportions while adding length for accommodations and waterline. At 44 feet overall with a 37-foot waterline, 13 feet 9 inches of beam, and 25,000 pounds displacement carrying 10,600 pounds of lead ballast, the boat sits at a ballast-displacement ratio near 42 percent, a figure that speaks to a stiff, weighty cruiser rather than a featherweight racer. The capsize ratio of 1.88 and comfort ratio of 30 place her firmly in offshore-cruising territory.
Rig and Handling
The Kalik 44 is rigged as a masthead sloop, a conventional and forgiving rig for a boat of this size. With a sail area of 913 square feet and a displacement-length ratio near 219, she is built for loaded cruising rather than all-out speed, yet the PHRF racing average handicap of 90 anchor shows she was considered reasonably quick in mixed fleet company for a boat of her weight and length. The skeg-hung rudder gives directional stability, and the fin keel provides a defined center of lateral resistance suited to windward work. Her hull speed of just over 8 knots is consistent with the long-waterline cruiser form.
Accommodations
The sources do not describe the interior arrangement in detail, but the boat's 150-gallon water capacity and 60-gallon diesel tank, paired with a single 50-horsepower Perkins diesel, outline a self-sufficient cruising platform sized for extended time aboard. The three-cabin owner layouts and ex-charter histories seen on the broader market reflect a hull intended to sleep a family or a small crew in separation, with the lengthened hull over the 40 providing the volume for that division.
The Verdict
The Kalik 44 is a Gary Mull-designed, Belgian-built cruiser that took the Kalik 40's hull and lengthened it into a more spacious offshore platform, later spawning the Ocean 44. Solid fiberglass construction, a lead-ballasted fin keel, and a skeg rudder mark her as a serious cruiser with a competitive handicap for her type. She is out of production but remains a coherent step in Mull's Kalik lineage.
Pros
- Lengthened evolution of the Kalik 40 with more hull volume
- Solid fiberglass construction with wood trim by Jachtwerf Vennekens
- Lead ballast fin keel and skeg rudder for cruising stability
- PHRF average of 90 shows credible fleet performance for her size
Cons
- Out of production, limiting factory support
