BoatsYamaha 33

Yamaha 33

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1976

A Peter Norlin-designed masthead sloop from 1976, featuring a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder for balanced performance

Designed by Yamaha, Norlin & Peter Norlin.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Yamaha 33, on the water

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

Footage from Hugh Robertson Sailing

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 21 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 21
CoastalBluewater

2.07 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.07
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 222
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.4
TenderStiff

45% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 45%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

What the fleet has seen

The Yamaha 33, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Yamaha 33 is a masthead sloop designed by Yamaha and Peter Norlin, built by Yamaha from 1976 to the present. It has a fin keel with a rudder on skeg, measures 10.2 meters LOA with a 3.4-meter beam, and draws 1.9 meters. Its displacement is 4399 kg. Aboard *Hugh Robertson Sailing*, a similar Pacific Seacraft 34 departed Fiji for a singlehanded passage to Minerva Reef, navigating Southeast Trades and a southern front with driving rain and strong winds.9:31 The boat sailed with a triple-reefed main and staysail, using a wind vane for self-steering in close-hauled conditions.19:27

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
45.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.4
Displacement / length
222.5
Comfort ratio
21.3
Capsize screening
2.07
Hull speed
7.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1057
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1976
Designer
Yamaha, Norlin, Peter Norlin
Builder
Yamaha

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.

Mirage 3310.21 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 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
Cal Boats 3410.13 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 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
Essential Engine Parts for Cruising Remote Areas | S2 Ep 6712:03from Sailing NV
C&C Yachts 3410.21 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthOffered in both deep keel and keel/centerboard configurations, this 1977 masthead sloop balances performance with versatility
Life is Like Sailing - 3 Years in a Tiny Home - A Liveaboard Boat Tour0:06from Life is Like Sailing
Moody 3410.19 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 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
Dehler Yachts 3410.10 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn IOR 3/4 ton racer-cruiser designed by Van de Stadt, offering a balanced performance pedigree in a comfortable hull
Dehler 34 - Genoa 2016 preview0:17from SVN solovelanet

The family

Boats like this

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

Yamaha 36A stiff, performance-oriented masthead sloop with a skeg-mounted rudder, designed by Yamaha for offshore capabilityYamaha 29A Groupe Finot-designed masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a balanced hull for coastal cruisingYamaha 28A masthead sloop from 1980 with a deep fin keel and spade rudder, designed for balanced performance and coastal cruisingYamaha 24A 1976 masthead sloop featuring a shallow 0.89-meter draft and fin keel, designed by Yamaha for versatile coastal cruising

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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