John Alden's most famous personal schooner was
MALABAR X. She was built by the Hodgdon Brothers Yard in
East Boothbay, Maine in 1930 as the tenth yacht in a
line of schooners that John Alden had built for himself.
At that time she represented the state of the art in
racing/cruising schooners in terms of quality of
construction, rig, and performance. She proved this when
John raced her to Bermuda in 1931 and she won the race.
This was the second Bermuda race John Alden won with one
of his own schooners.
MALABAR X at 59' 4" was the largest in this series of
schooners. This is the same MALABAR X yacht that John
Alden raced to Bermuda in 1931. She has been totally
rebuilt (100% replacement of all wood in the keel, hull,
deck, cabinhouse, etc) over the years between 1998 and
2002. She does still carry the original bowsprit,
foremast, anchor windlass, ballast keel, and wheel from
the original yacht. She was relaunched in June of 2002.
The United States Coast Guard has kept the same US
Documentation number that was assigned to MALABAR X in
1930. The rebuilt yacht that we see in front of us today
is also called MALABAR X. The reconstructed MALABAR X
was built to an even higher/stronger standard than the
original.
Her hull is double planked 3/4" silver bali over an
inner skin of 1/2" cedar and it is copper riveted
(versus just screwed). All other fastenings are bronze
bolts or bronze screws. The frames are all steam bent
oak 2-7/8" x 2" on 10" centers. The backbone, stem, and
trunk cabin are all built of Angelique which is stronger
and more dense than teak. The decks are full laid teak
1-1/2" x 2" screwed to Angelique and oak deck beams.
The floor timber strapping is 1/2" x 2-1/2" #316
stainless steel.
The spars are hollow Douglas fir. The booms and gaffs
are also Douglas fir. The sails are all new from Doyle
Sailmakers in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
MALABAR X was re-launched in June of 2002. She was
sailed almost daily in New York all through the summer.
Her interior layout features three private staterooms,
two heads, and a spacious main cabin. As of this writing
the interior is being completed. By the spring 2003, the
owner's aft stateroom with ensuite head, main cabin,
galley, nav station area, and forward head will all be
complete. This work, plus the installation of
electronics etc, will be complete with the current
asking price $1,395,000. The port double stateroom and
the forward double stateroom will be completed in the
winter of 2003-2004 at additional cost. A buyer could
also purchase the vessel and take her to another yard
where this work could be completed in a more timely
fashion.
On deck MALABAR X has a long spacious aft cockpit
featuring her original 8-spoke, inlayed teak, wheel.
There is a large bridge deck at the forward end of the
cockpit and access to the engine room is via a portside
hatch in this bridge deck. On the starboard side this
bridge deck extends 4' further forward along the trunk
cabin to the main companionway hatch. The cockpit
coaming is a varnished extension of the Angelique trunk
cabin, and it completely encircles this large cockpit.
The cockpit sole, as well as the bridge deck, have solid
teak decking.
The main decks are also solid teak and they are quite
wide which is typical of a yacht of this vintage.
MALABAR X has 8" bulwarks which run the full length of
the yacht, with a beautiful half oval-shaped Angelique
caprail, which sits on top of the bulwarks. The trunk
cabin ends just aft of the foremast.
There are approximately eight bronze opening portholes
(from the original boat) in this cabin trunk, plus two
beautiful butterfly hatches: one located over the
owner's stateroom, and one located over the main cabin.
There are two other opening hatches on the forward end
of the trunk cabin: one over the forward head, and one
over the port stateroom.
MALABAR X also has the typical raised companionway hatch
on the foredeck above the forward stateroom, which used
to be the crew quarters. The original bronze anchor
windlass is located immediately forward of this hatch
and just aft of the bowsprit (also from the original
boat).
Mainmast-Douglas fir (hollow) varnished
Foremast-Douglas fir (hollow) varnished
Two booms, two gaffs and jib
Boom-Douglas fir-varnished
SAILS All new from Doyle (2002 and 2003)
Mainsail (Dacron)
Main Topsail (Dacron)
Fore Sail (Dacron)
Fore Topsail (Dacron)
Fisherman Staysail (Dacron)
Fore Staysail (Dacron)
Jib (Dacron)
Radar (color)
Chartplotter/GPS
Autopilot-Robertson
VHF radio
Sailing Instruments:
Knotmeter
Log
Fathometer
Apparent wind angle
Anemometer
MALABAR X is truly a ghost from the past. But she is
a beautifully well built ghost! She will allow the real
traditionalist to enjoy the feel and to sense the power
and speed that John Alden himself felt under his feet as
he walked the deck enroute to Bermuda and many other
exciting places.
The original MALABAR X served her owners well for almost
70 years and carried them across many oceans under all
sorts of sea conditions. The reconstructed MALABAR X,
which from an engineering standpoint is better built
than the original, should serve her future owners that
same amount of time or longer.
For someone who appreciates the classic lines of an
Alden schooner, with the traditional gaff headed rig
that was common on all these boats until the early
1930's, this is the opportunity of a lifetime - to own a
piece of sailing history with all the benefits of a
brand new yacht.
   
   
   
   
   
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