Design and Construction
Andersson’s design pairs an 11.05-meter overall length with a 9.30-meter waterline, a beam of 3.22 meters, and a displacement of 5,600 kilograms. The 2,250 kilograms of lead ballast gives a 40 percent ballast ratio, and the resulting capsize screening value of 1.83 places her within accepted offshore-race thresholds. Both hull and deck are fiberglass, but not as solid laminate alone: the structure is a sandwich with a Divinycell core, a choice the period review credited with a better interior climate. The wet-surface area below the waterline is about 35 square meters. Under power a 27-horsepower Yanmar diesel turns a saildrive for a measured 7.0 knots, while her theoretical displacement-hull speed is 7.4 knots.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop rig carries a reported 60.2 square meters of sail, and the sail-area-to-displacement ratio runs 17.3 on the ISO reference sail, rising to 19.9 with a 135 percent genoa. A displacement-length ratio of 194 puts her among what one review termed “moderate racers,” and the Motion Comfort Ratio of 25.4 describes a hull that moves with intent rather than sluggishness. The fin keel draws between 1.78 and 1.88 meters depending on load, shallow enough that she can tuck into most marinas. Halyard and sheet specifications are generous for the size: main and genoa halyards run 35.4 meters at 12 mm, the mainsheet is 27.6 meters at 14 mm, and the genoa sheets are 11.1 meters at 14 mm, giving a buyer confidence that the original lead blocks and winches were sized for real loads.
Accommodations
Below, the interior is teak, consistent with Scandinavian cruising practice of the early eighties. The records show no berth count or chart-table detail, but the sandwich construction noted above was specifically described as improving the cabin environment rather than merely saving weight. The 32-gallon freshwater and 16-gallon fuel capacities are modest, pointing to a boat intended for coastal cruising with periodic replenishment rather than long self-sufficient passages.
The Verdict
The Mamba 36 is a thoughtfully engineered Scandinavian cruiser-racer: a cored fiberglass hull for comfort, a lead-ballasted fin keel for balance, and a fractional rig that stays lively under sail. She is not a voluminous passagemaker, but her numbers describe a boat that is quick, manageable, and well-proportioned for two-person cruising or club racing.
Pros
- Sandwich hull and deck with Divinycell core for a steadier cabin climate
- 40 percent ballast ratio and 1.83 capsize screen indicate a seaworthy profile
- Shallow-enough fin keel to enter most marinas
- Generous halyard and sheet dimensions for a 36-footer
Cons
- Small fuel and water tanks limit autonomous range
- Saildrive transmission demands careful underwater-seal inspection over time
