2014 Custom 53' Expedition Voyaging Lifting Keeler

Malabar is the most meticulously thought out design on the market today with safety as the top priority for every step of the build. Some build features include all welds below the waterline dye tested, watertight bulkheads, an aluminum double bottom, a sea chest, full hardtop and dodger, an oversized NACA foil lifting keel, and numerous other special custom features. Jimmy Cornell has traveled 200,000 miles on aluminum lifting keelers because he considers the formula to be the safest for voyaging with the risk of broaching being virtually eliminated. At the same time, Malabar's sailing performance is far superior to ordinary cruising boats with a special emphasis on the close-windedness provided by her oversized lifting keel, the large (560-square foot) Solent working jib which is self-tacking via a traveler mounted on a radiused bridge allowing a very tight 11 degrees sheeting angle, and which can be flown to 35 knots without shortening sail. 

Malabar’s design is meant to be simple, sustainable and safe. With nearly 1,000 gal water capacity the need for a complex water maker is eliminated. The astonishing 2,354  amp hour battery banks with all new AGM batteries and inverter-chargers are charged by  a massive solar array. The diesel-fired hot water central heating will keep the whole boat warm including the cockpit. The aft deck provides shelter from a following sea and a good working area. All the lifelines are 40 inches high and the Treadmaster deck covering and the many handholds provide unmatched safe transit on deck. 

The cabin below has a traditional Herreshoff finish with Brazilian Jatoba cherry trim throughout and 3/4 inch solid Brazilian Cumaru teak soles. All windows and deck hatches have custom joinery with the Jatoba screens on the hatches being hinged. The raised dinette has panoramic views through the thick lexan windows. The galley is well thought out and secure with massive keel cooled and overly insulated refrigeration and freezer. The entire boat has sprayed-on closed cell polyurethane foam insulation to provide remarkable acoustic isolation from the sound of wind and waves as well as additional floatation. Insulation for the refrigeration is up to a foot thick to ensure minimal energy consumption. Even the shower has a mixer valve which redirects to a water tank the incoming water before it reaches the desired temperature and then prevents the possibility of scalding by the 165 degree water being supplied from the engine's heat exchanger. 

There is a workshop forward with workbench and drill press; an aft technical lazarette providing easy access to several systems including the washer/dryer; and much more…

There is a 54 page document meticulously outlining the build process, safety features and a gallery with over 300 photos is available upon request outlining all the systems, safety features and additional information. Attempting to build a similar boat today would take nearly a decade as did Malabar, cost between $2M and $3M USD and finding a yard willing to dye test all welds below the waterline, and execute the numerous custom features which Malabar incorporates would be almost impossible even within budget. 

The owner had Malabar built to go voyaging with his wife. Her illness and eventual death after 58 years of marriage brought the owner's voyaging plans to a permanent end. The vessel has been routinely maintained, systems tested and has been fully commissioned and tested and put back to rest in 2022. The Volvo engine has less than 50 hours. The owner's care giving for his wife and her eventual loss is the reason Malabar is being offered for the next owner to splash, customize and set sail for any destination in the world.