Cape Dory 33

Overview

The Cape Dory 33 is a Carl Alberg cruising design built from 1980 through 1985. The Cape Dory Sailboat Owners Association records 120 boats. It has a 24-foot-6-inch waterline, 10-foot-3-inch beam, 4-foot-10-inch draft, and 13,300-pound displacement.

Cape Dory offered both masthead sloop and cutter versions. The model page lists 546 square feet of sail, while a later Newport Shipyards brochure gives 561. That difference may reflect the rig or the way sail area was counted. The earlier model-specific number is used here until the variants can be separated cleanly.

Construction and layout

The design uses a full keel and attached rudder. Ballast is 5,500 pounds, about 41 percent of published displacement. The long keel gives the rudder protection and directional stability expected of an Alberg cruiser, with more wetted surface and slower turning than a fin-keel boat of similar length.

The brochure describes a forward cabin, saloon, galley, head, and a dedicated navigation area. Joinery and hardware were part of Cape Dory’s sales case, but any surviving boat should be judged on its maintenance and refit record rather than the original finish. Rather than a V-berth, the forward cabin has a single berth on the port side with a seat and bureau, and the berth can be converted to a double. The main cabin has settee berths, one converting to a double, plus a quarter berth partly under the cockpit next to the navigation table.

Under sail

The short waterline and heavy displacement point to moderate speeds. The full keel should favor tracking over quick maneuvering. Cutter boats split the headsail area into smaller pieces, while the sloop is simpler. Sail condition, mast tune, and added cruising weight can matter as much as the original rig choice on a boat of this age.

Buyers notes

Confirm whether the boat is the sloop or cutter and compare its standing rigging with the relevant plan. Inspect the deck around every penetration, the mast support, chainplates, rudder fittings, and the keel after haulout. Original systems are now old enough that tankage, wiring, seacocks, and engine replacement history deserve a line-by-line review.

The model’s presence in Nestor’s book and the surviving factory literature make it a strong research candidate. A specific hull still needs a survey and a documented maintenance history.