Design and Construction
The Malö 39 measures 40 feet long, with a beam just over 12 feet and a length-to-beam ratio of 3.27. Its fiberglass hull uses a balsa-cored sandwich construction, which helps temper the cabin and improve the indoor climate.
The deck and hull were joined and laminated into a single unit before the interior was built out, providing rigidity and resistance to leaks. A structural bulkhead grid was also laminated into the hull before the mahogany joinery was installed.
Rig and Handling
The 39 carries a masthead sloop rig. The mainsheet uses 30.8 m of 14 mm line; the jib and genoa sheets use 12.3 m of 14 mm line; and the spinnaker sheet is 27.1 m.
Depending on load, the fin keel draws 1.8 to 1.9 m, limiting the boat to major marinas. Calculated maximum speed is 7.4 knots, compared with a theoretical limit of 7.5 knots. The capsize screening value is 1.84, and the Motion Comfort Ratio is 30.6.
Accommodations
The interior is finished in mahogany. Beyond the balsa core’s cabin-climate benefit, the sources make no other claims about the accommodations.
Known Issues
Any work that penetrates the balsa-cored sandwich demands special care. Once exposed to moisture, the core can fail and the damage can spread. Every deck penetration and through-hull is therefore a potential path for water and needs probing rather than a cosmetic cover-up.
Verdict
The Malö 39 is a heavy cruiser with a balsa-cored hull and a one-piece laminated hull-and-deck structure intended to provide rigidity, leak resistance, and a more temperate interior. Its displacement and ballast mark it as sea-kindly offshore. The principal caveat is the balsa core’s need for disciplined maintenance around every penetration.
Pros
- Heavy-cruiser displacement and a ballast ratio near 40 percent, providing steadiness offshore
- Balsa-cored sandwich hull that improves the indoor climate
- Deck and hull laminated into one unit for rigidity and leak resistance
- Fewer than 100 built, making for a limited and coherent production run
Cons
- Balsa core requires special care around every sandwich penetration
- Fin keel drawing near 6 feet restricts anchoring and marina access
