The first two hulls from the mold were famously given away as prizes on The Price Is Right—a curious introduction for a serious little cruiser. At 1,500 lb all up, it also doesn’t require a heavy trailer on the road.
Design and Construction
The Malbec looks considerably more modern than earlier pocket cruisers, with a hard-chined hull, relatively fine bow, and neatly sculpted cabinhouse. Both the hull and deck are hand-laid solid laminate. Lead ballast is set in the hull forward and within the centerboard to help keep the boat upright.
The centerboard carries 300 pounds of lead across its 4-foot span. That gives the boat some stiffness when the board is down, while allowing it to float in just 10 inches of water with the board raised.
Overall length is 18 feet, with a 16-foot waterline and a beam of 7 feet 2 inches. Draft is 3 feet 9 inches with the board down and 1 foot with it raised. The boat carries 450 lb of ballast against a displacement of 1,500 lb, yielding a ballast ratio of 36. Its 157 square feet of sail area produces an SA/D of 19, while the D/L is 163.
Rig, Controls, and Sailing Performance
The Malbec carries a high-aspect fractional rig from U.S. Spars, with Ronstan deck hardware. A Bomar hatch on the foredeck provides ventilation below.
Sail controls are deliberately simple. The boat has a boom vang but no mainsheet traveler, and the tester noted that the mainsail carried two sets of reef points. Both the mainsheet and centerboard controls were easy to reach from the helm.
The standard working jib measures 55 sq ft. A 98 sq ft genoa and 120 sq ft asymmetric spinnaker are optional.
Test sailors reported very good helm feel throughout. 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. Cracked off to a close reach, the boat sometimes touched 5 knots. Given the relatively flat bottom, testers suspected that the boat would plane readily in stronger conditions.
Accommodations
The interior is utilitarian, with most of the space given to a V-berth and two long settee berths. The cushioned 6-foot berths allow the boat to sleep four.
A small table can be mounted for meals. There’s also 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 brightened the fiberglass interior with a blue-fleck coating, while the large companionway hatch admits ample light and provides headroom.
The test boat also carried a distinctive raised stainless-steel grabrail around the cockpit. Given the boat’s fairly low freeboard, testers found that the rail added a sense of security when the wind rose. It also served admirably as a backrest.
Equipment and Power
Beyond the standard aluminum rig and Ronstan hardware, an electrical panel and battery are optional for night sailing.
The test boat used a 2.5 hp propane-fueled Lehr outboard, matching the stated specification of a 2.5 hp outboard.
The builder’s stated goal was to produce a boat that can sleep four at a modest market price. Boat of the Year judge Ed Sherman praised the builder for achieving that target at market.
The Verdict
The Malbec 18 is a thoughtfully modern pocket cruiser that trades an elaborate interior for easy trailering, simple systems, and a lively rig. Its hand-laid solid-laminate construction and lead-centered stability make it a credible small cruiser, while the centerboard’s shallow-draft range opens quiet anchorages to a boat weighing just 1,500 lb.
Pros
- Hand-laid solid-laminate hull and deck, with lead ballast in the hull and centerboard
- High-aspect fractional rig with easy-to-reach controls and two sets of reef points
- Sleeps four, with a large companionway that brings in light and a blue-fleck interior finish
- Drafts just 10 inches with the board raised and can be trailered without a heavy trailer
Cons
- Utilitarian interior with minimal fixed galley and head provisions
- No mainsheet traveler as standard, and a simple sail-control arrangement
- Light breeze and a full load left the tester suspecting a livelier ride in more wind
