BoatsHunter Marine 33

Hunter Marine 33

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1977

A 1977 masthead sloop with a 38% ballast ratio, designed for stability and coastal performance

Designed by Cherubini & John E. Cherubini.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Hunter Marine 33, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Practical Sailor

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 26 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 26
CoastalBluewater

1.86 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.86
LightHeavy

238 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 238
EasygoingPowered-up

16.5 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.5
TenderStiff

39% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 39%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

What the fleet has seen

The Hunter Marine 33, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Hunter Marine 33 is a masthead sloop designed by John E. Cherubini, built by Hunter Marine from 1977 to the present.2:22 The 2004 Hunter 33, designed by Glenn Henderson, has an LOA of 33.5 feet, an 11.5-foot beam, and displaces 11,000 pounds.3:15 This model features a B&R rig with swept-back spreaders and no backstay, and a stainless steel cockpit arch that supports the mainsheet traveler and bimini.1:42 The interior prioritizes living space with a U-shaped galley, a large dinette, and an athwartship double berth under the cockpit.4:27 Owners report difficulty maneuvering in reverse with the standard two-blade propeller, and the in-mast furling mainsail reduces aerodynamic efficiency.6:18 A 1993 Hunter 33.5 completed a 5,000-mile round trip from the Great Lakes to the Bahamas, enduring a 70-knot squall and hurricane conditions.watch Aboard this vessel, the owner replaced the stock anchor with a Mantis 35-lb model and added 400 watts of solar panels.0:53 Common issues across the Hunter line include water intrusion into the deck core, particularly at chain plates, and chain plate corrosion.5:47

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 3 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Hunter Marine 33 on video

What broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

  • ConsideredStarlink

    The speaker considered Starlink but decided against it due to power consumption and lack of shore internet.

    aboard Practical Sailorseen October 202510:20

  • ConsideredVictron

    The speaker was asked if their solar controller was a Victron MPPT, but it was not.

    aboard Practical Sailorseen October 20259:40

  • WorkingYanmar

    The boat is surprisingly equipped with a Yanmar engine.

    aboard Practical Sailorseen September 20250:09

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Hunter Marine 33 may be fitted out entirely differently.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
38.7%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.5
Displacement / length
238.3
Comfort ratio
25.9
Capsize screening
1.86
Hull speed
7.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
984
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1977
Designer
Cherubini, John E. Cherubini
Builder
Hunter Marine

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Moody 3410.19 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1980s mid-sized cruiser with a 40% ballast ratio, designed for stability and predictable handling in coastal waters
Moody or Beneteau? - Episode 122 - Lady K Sailing10:36from Lady K Sailing
Cal Boats 3410.13 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, favoured by Jensen Marine founder Jack Jensen for personal cruising
Episode 1 - Sadie Johnson5:11from SheHelms Sailing
Moody 33310.06 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA twin-keel cruiser featuring an aft cabin with a double berth accessible directly from the saloon
French canals Book0:55from Sailing Gently
Omega 3410.26 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Ron Holland-designed fractional sloop from 1981, balancing a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited sailing
A Knack for Sailing: Christen With on 60 years in the service of sailing7:46from SEILmagasinet
Bavaria Yachts Cruiser 339.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthOriginally introduced as the Cruiser 32, this 9.99-metre fractional sloop offers a 1.95-metre draft for coastal sailing
We Needed This: A Week Of Family Sailing - Ep. 449 RAN Sailing3:09from RAN Sailing
Mirage 3310.21 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop offering a balanced, performance-oriented cruiser profile in a 33-foot hull
C&C Yachts: The Canadian Sailboats That Changed Racing & Cruising Forever10:11from Practical Sailor

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Hunter Marine 36A masthead sloop with a 44% ballast ratio, designed for stable coastal cruising during a short early-eighties production runHunter Marine 37A John E. Cherubini-designed cutter featuring a fin keel and spade rudder, built for stable cruising since 1978Hunter Marine 33-2Available with shoal or deep draft keels and optional furling masts, this 10-metre cruiser offers flexible configurations forHunter Marine 30A John Cherubini-designed masthead sloop offered in multiple keel configurations and as an unfinished kit versionHunter Marine E33A 2011 production cruiser featuring a B&R rig and a fin keel with a spade rudder for coastal handlingHunter Marine 33.5A versatile cruiser featuring a B&R rig and multiple keel options, also marketed as the Moorings 335

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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