Alden Gaff Schooner

The last and largest of the legendary run of John Alden’s personal MALABAR schooners that all but dominated US offshore racing between the wars and won three Bermuda races between them - with MALABAR X winning her class in 1930 and overall in 1932 (beating DORADE) - she has always been considered the best of them, in particular by her original crew. The epitome of the wholesome, fine and fast Alden schooners, after a major turn of the 21st Century rebuild MALABAR X now graces Mediterranean waters: an iconic head-turning regular at the Spanish classic regattas, and very comfortably appointed for easy and elegant cruising with family and friends.

Brokers Comments

The last and largest of the legendary run of John Alden’s personal MALABAR schooners that all but dominated US offshore racing between the wars and won three Bermuda races between them - with MALABAR X winning her class in 1930 and overall in 1932 (beating DORADE) - she has always been considered the best of them, in particular by her original crew. The epitome of the wholesome, fine and fast Alden schooners, after a major turn of the 21st Century rebuild MALABAR X now graces Mediterranean waters: an iconic head-turning regular at the Spanish classic regattas, and very comfortably appointed for easy and elegant cruising with family and friends.

New Listing

This is a preliminary presentation of a New Listing with fuller specifications and many more photos to follow.

History

MALABAR X was launched in 1930 by the famed Hodgdon Brothers yard at East Boothbay, Maine. For John G Alden she was again a means to both pleasure and promotion, achieving both by winning her class in that year's Bermuda race. In 1931 she came second in the prestigious Cape May Race, and in 1932 excelled by winning the Bermuda race overall from DORADE.

After many ownerships, in 1991 she was seriously damaged at Greenport Long Island during Hurricane Bob and all but abandoned.

Enter saviour Doug Hazlitt in 1999 with a plan to operate this iconic yacht for day charters in upstate New York. She was trucked to Cayuga Wooden Boat Works, Ithaca, and began what became a keel-up rebuild under the supervision Cayuga's Dennis Montgomery, and Niels Helleberg of the Alden design office.

Relaunched in 2003 and listed by Classic Boat magazine as one of the 250 all time-classics, after her early-century day charter years on Seneca Lake, MALABAR X's present owners shipped her to Spain in 2009 where she joined the Mediterranean's astounding fleet of beautifully maintained classics, but few can emulate her provenance and presence.

Construction

- Carvel teak on bent oak frames
- Teak laid deck
- Teak deck furniture

Deck Equipment and Ground Tackle

- Large cockpit
- Wheel steering
- Classic winches, newer and older
- Long "L" trunk cabin
- Bronze manual anchor windlass
- 3 x Anchors: Admiralty, Hall and Danforth

Accommodation and Domestic Equipment

Accommodation for 9 in 4 cabins

Down companionway ladder to lobby with chart table to starboard, galley to port and aft cabin off galley

Galley
- Broad Water gimballed Marine Stove with oven
- Electric fridge

Forward to spacious saloon with 2 x pilot berths outboard, settees, U dining area to port

Fwd to passage offset to starboard, with owner's cabin to port and, via walk-through head, to forepeak cabin with berth to port and wc to starboard.

Ladder access to forehatch

Rig Spars and Sails

- Gaff schooner rig
- Fir masts
- Stainless Steel 1X19 shrouds
- Backstay levers

- Mainsail
- Top sail
- 2 x Fishermen
- Foresail
- Staysail
- Jib top
- Jib
- Genoa
- Heavy Genoa

- Classic winches, newer and older
- All blocks and hoops are leathered

- Covers for hatches, wheel, compass binnacle, gas box, instruments pedestal and cockpit boxes/seats
- 3 x Overall covers: fore, mid and aft decks

Mechanical Electrical and Tankage

- Yanmar 4LH-HTE 120 kW Diesel engine
- Kobelt 2042 bronze throttle control
- 2 x 170 L Diesel tanks
- 1 x Water tank
- 1 x Grey water tank
- Hot water system
- 3 x Service batteries 100 Ah each
- Engine battery
- Mastervolt Charger Master 12/70-3
- Sinergex Pure Sine 1500 Series II inverter
- All electrical cables up rigging are protected

Navigation Communication and Electronics

- Raymarine anemometer ST60 plus wind vane (2011)
- Lewmar/ Simrad autopilot (2011)
- Garmin GPS Map 5012 inside
- Garmin GPS Map 5008 at cockpit
- Anemometer display in cockpit
- Simrad autopilot display in cockpit
- Compass in cockpit

- Navicom VHF radio inside
- 2 x Submersible handheld VHF: Icom and Entel

- Spreader lights
- Steaming light on foremast
- Running lights on shroud boards
- Navigation light on foremast shrouds
- Anchor light top of mainmast
- Stern light

- AM/FM Radio.

Safety

- Zodiac liferaft 12 persons
- First aid kit
- Flare kit
- CO2 fire extinguisher 1-10 cil in engine room
- 2 x 2 kg Fire extinguishers
- 2 x 6 kg Fire extinguishers
- EPIRIB
- 12 x Life vests
- Barometer
- Fog horn
- Bell
- Books and nautical charts
- Code flags
- Compass
- Hand bearing compass
- Signaling mirror
- Flashlight
- Radar reflector

Recent Refit / Maintenance

- New deck caulking March 2012
- Varnish on a year basis
- Cleaning and antifouling paint every year

Other Equipment

- 8 x Fenders
- 4 x Mooring lines
- Binoculars
- Ensign
- Toolbox
- Sail mending box
- Electrical spares
- Miscellaneous silicon bronze hardware
- Several spare blocks, stanchions, shackles

Photo Credit

Sailing images by James Robinson Taylor

Disclaimer

These particulars have been prepared from information provided by the vendors and are intended as general guide. The purchaser should confirm details of concern to them by survey or engineers inspection. The purchaser should also ensure that the purchase contract properly reflects their concerns and specifies details on which they wish to rely.