Overview
The Malo 36 is a Leif Ängermark design built by Malo Yachts on the island of Orust, Sweden, between 1996 and 2006. Orust has been a center of Swedish boatbuilding for centuries, and Malo itself traces back to 1939, when Johannes Olsson began building wooden yachts at Kungsviken. The yard moved into fiberglass in 1969 under his sons, and by the time the 36 was in production the company had built a reputation, reinforced by industry awards on sister models, for cruising yachts finished to a standard well above typical production boats.
Design and Construction
The 36 carries a fin keel with the rudder hung on a skeg, a fairly deep 5 ft 10 in draft, and moderate-to-heavy displacement for its length at just under 17,000 lb. Sailboatdata.com’s page notes the model was also offered with a traditional counter stern as an alternative to the standard reverse transom shown in the sail plan and hull profile used here; buyers should confirm which stern configuration a given listing has, since it changes the overall LOA slightly. Ballast is roughly 40 percent of displacement, in the range typical of a boat built to stand up to a full working rig offshore rather than to plane.
Under Sail
At an SA/D near 19 and a capsize screening figure of 1.78, the 36 is set up as a moderately powerful, stiff cruiser rather than a light-air flyer. John Neal’s Mahina list rates the Malo range 5 out of 5 and credits the marque with “good sailing performance” alongside build quality. Its reported skeg-failure note applies to the larger 45 and 46 models, not the 36.
Buyers Notes
Confirm which stern (standard reverse transom versus the traditional counter option) a given boat has before comparing listed dimensions against another Malo 36. As with most Swedish-built boats of this era, expect a heavily built hull and a well-finished interior, and budget accordingly on the brokerage market, since Malo’s reputation keeps resale prices firm.
