Propulsion
Primary
Sails
Its double
Inboard diesel, plus a 60 hp outboard on the transom for strong headwinds and currents
The boat
Malabar
46 feet, 18 tonnes fully laden, and one rule on board: every system has its double.
A boat for the deep south
Built to keep going
In the Southern Ocean, a breakdown is never just an inconvenience. There is no chandlery around the corner and no tow within reach.
Malabar has been prepared with that in mind. Every critical system on board is backed up by a second, independent one — so that when something fails, the voyage goes on.
Specifications
- Type
- Ocean sailing yacht
- Length
- 46 ft (14 m)
- Displacement
- About 18 t fully laden
- Hull
- Material and builder to be completed
- Rig
- To be completed
- Engines
- Inboard diesel + Mercury 60 hp outboard, ultra-long shaft
- Energy
- 800 W of solar panels, wind turbine, alternators and generator
- Batteries
- Three separate banks, including 600 Ah of lithium
- Communications
- Two Starlink satellite terminals
- Electronics
- Raymarine navigation
The name
Why Malabar?
In French, a “malabar” is a big, strong guy: the one you want beside you when things get rough. The Captain first wanted to call her “Gros Malabar”, the big one, and her tender “P’tit Malabar”, the little one. The tender kept its nickname.
And the pink is not just for show. Against the white of the ice, the grey of the sea or in a searchlight at night, a pink hull stands out from far away. In the Southern Ocean, being seen is a safety feature.
Redundancy
Every system has its double
Energy production
Primary
Solar panels and wind turbine
Its double
Engine alternators and generator
Batteries
Primary
Lithium house bank
Its double
Separate gel and engine banks, all cross-connectable
Solar charging
Primary
Networked solar regulators
Its double
A spare regulator able to take the whole array
230 V power
Primary
Inverter
Its double
A second, identical inverter
Communications
Primary
Starlink Mini on 12 V
Its double
A second Starlink terminal
Bilge pumps
Primary
Powered by the gel bank
Its double
Switched to the lithium bank in one move
Refit 2026–2027
A winter in the yard
Malabar spends the winter at Port Napoléon, in the south of France, to be prepared for the Southern Ocean.
- Energy system rebuilt around a lithium house bank
- Every charging path doubled
- Other works to be completed with the Captain
Partners