Design and Construction
The Malbec 18 reads as a considerably more modern boat than its pocket-cruiser predecessors, with a hard-chined hull, a relatively fine bow, and a neatly sculpted cabinhouse anchor. Both deck and hull are hand-laid solid laminate, and a few dabs of lead ballast are set in the hull forward and within the centerboard to help keep things upright. The centerboard itself carries 300 pounds of lead across its 4-foot span, giving the boat a bit of stiffness when deployed and allowing it to float in just 10 inches of water with the board raised anchor. Overall dimensions are an 18-foot LOA on a 16-foot waterline, a beam of 7 feet 2 inches, and a draft of 3 feet 9 inches board down or 1 foot board up. The 450 lb of ballast against 1,500 lb displacement yields a ballast ratio of 36, and the 157 square feet of sail area drives a SA/D of 19 against a D/L of 163.
Rig and Handling
Above the deck, the Malbec carries a high-aspect fractional rig from U.S. Spars, with Ronstan deck hardware and a foredeck Bomar hatch for ventilation below anchor. Sail controls are deliberately simple: a boom vang is fitted but there is no mainsheet traveler, and the tester noted the mainsail carried two sets of reef points. The mainsheet and centerboard controls were easy to reach from the helm, and the standard working jib measures 55 sq ft with an optional 98 sq ft genoa and a 120 sq ft asymmetric spinnaker available. On the water, test sailors found very good helm feel throughout, and in 3 to 7 knots of true wind the boat made up to 3.5 knots close-hauled at a 40-degree apparent wind angle, sometimes touching 5 knots when cracked off to a close reach. With its relatively flat bottom, testers suspected the Malbec will plane readily in stronger conditions.
Accommodations
Inside, the layout is utilitarian and taken up primarily by a V-berth and a pair of long settee berths, with cushioned 6-foot berths that allow the boat to sleep four anchor. A small table can be mounted for meals, and there is room for an ice chest, a small chemical toilet, and a one-burner Jetboil swing stove, or more generally a simple camp stove, cooler, and water jug. Lange has spruced up the fiberglass interior with a blue-fleck coating, and a large companionway hatch lets in ample light and provides headroom. The test boat also carried a unique raised stainless steel grabrail around the cockpit; with fairly low freeboard, testers found this provided a sense of added security when the wind was up, and it served admirably as a backrest.
Equipment and Power
Beyond the standard aluminum rig and Ronstan hardware, the Malbec offers an option to add an electrical panel and battery for night sailing. The test boat was run with a 2.5 hp propane-fueled Lehr outboard, matching the stated engine specification of a 2.5 hp outboard anchor. The builder's stated goal was to produce a boat that can sleep four at a modest market price, a target that Boat of the Year judge Ed Sherman praised the builder for achieving at market.
The Verdict
The Malbec 18 is a thoughtfully modern pocket cruiser that trades interior lavishness for trailering ease, simple systems, and a lively rig. Its hand-laid solid hull and lead-centered stability make it a credible small cruiser, while the centerboard's shallow-draft range opens quiet anchorages to a 1,500 lb boat.
Pros
- Hand-laid solid laminate hull and deck with lead ballast in hull and centerboard
- High-aspect fractional rig with easy-to-reach controls and reef points
- Sleeps four with a light, large companionway and blue-fleck interior finish
- Shallow 10-inch draft with board up; trailable without a heavy trailer
Cons
- Utilitarian interior with minimal fixed galley and head provisions
- No mainsheet traveler as standard; simple sail control suite
- Light breeze and full load left tester suspecting a livelier ride in more wind
