Beneteau First 33.7 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The First 33.7 was offered in two principal below-decks configurations, and both turn up with reasonable regularity on the brokerage market. The more common arrangement places a double forecabin forward, parallel settee berths flanking a drop-down dinette in the saloon, a single heads compartment aft of the mast, a workable L-shaped galley to port, and a spacious aft double cabin that gives owners a proper sleeping cabin rather than a quarterberth compromise. The nav station sits forward-facing opposite the galley, large enough for serious chart work and comfortably seated. Headroom throughout is generous for the waterline length.

The alternative layout, which Beneteau offered as a factory option, shifts the heads forward of the saloon and creates a second aft cabin — a choice that suits buyers planning to carry a family or run the boat in a charter-style context. Examples with this layout appear less frequently but do surface, particularly on boats that entered fleet or charter service early in their lives and have since been repatriated to private ownership.

Both versions share the same deck and cockpit layout: a full-width mainsheet traveller running across the cockpit, tiller steering as standard with wheel steering as a factory option that a meaningful share of used examples carry, deep sail lockers, and a separate gas-bottle locker. The cockpit is on the snug side for large crews but suits a couple or three friends handily.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

First 33.7s that have been actively sailed tend to arrive on the market with the kind of accumulated upgrades that reflect a boat used for both racing and extended coastal passages. The fractional rig with twin swept spreaders and an adjustable backstay is well suited to performance tuning, and owners who have raced the boat often carry upgraded running rigging, additional control lines led to the cockpit, and updated blocks and organisers. Spinlock jammers and Lewmar winches were fitted at the factory, and many examples retain these in good condition.

Furling systems for the genoa were standard equipment, and most boats on the market will carry a roller-furler that has been replaced or serviced at some point in the boat's life. Spinnaker handling equipment — pole, blocks, and dedicated sheets — is a common owner addition, reflecting the boat's genuine aptitude for downwind sailing. Many examples also carry a cruising chute or asymmetric kite added by previous owners who discovered how pleasantly the hull accelerates in light to moderate reaching conditions.

Navigation electronics fitted to used examples vary considerably with the age of the last refit. Chartplotters, AIS receivers, and VHF radios are commonly found in updated form even on older hulls. Autopilots — both tiller-mounted and below-decks units — turn up on a solid share of brokerage boats, a reflection of the model's use on coastal and offshore passages. Owners drawn to performance racing have sometimes added in-boom or in-mast furling for the mainsail, though the original slab-reefing arrangement is generally regarded as more reliable for the conditions this boat handles well.

Interiors often show cosmetic updates: replacement upholstery in the saloon and aft cabin is a frequent owner upgrade, as the original fabrics age in ways that the structural fabric of the boat does not. The pearwood-stained mahogany joinery holds up well and tends to remain a point of pride on cared-for examples.

What to Inspect

The First 33.7's Berret/Racoupeau hull is a competent offshore design, but like any fiberglass boat of this generation there are areas that reward careful scrutiny before purchase.

The keel-to-hull joint deserves attention. Deep-fin keel attachments on performance boats from this era can develop movement over time, and a surveyor should check for staining, cracking, or softness in the gelcoat around the keel stub. Any evidence of movement — however slight — warrants investigation before the boat changes hands.

The standing rigging should be inspected thoroughly. The boat's fractional rig with swept spreaders places characteristic loads on the chainplates and deck fittings; chainplate bedding and deck reinforcement at the shroud attachment points are worth scrutinizing, particularly on boats that have seen active racing use. Discoloration below the chainplates on the interior headliner or hull sides can indicate weeping that has been ignored.

The adjustable backstay system — a functional racing feature — involves additional hardware at the transom and a purchase system in the cockpit that can develop wear. Check the attachment points and the condition of the mechanical or hydraulic adjuster.

Below decks, the galley is described in period reviews as on the small side; the fitments themselves are less a concern than the plumbing connecting them, which on older boats may have had multiple owners and improvised repairs. Fresh water and fuel tank condition, along with hose clamps and seacocks, are routine but important survey items on any boat of this generation.

The standard engine on early production was a Yanmar SGM20, a reliable small diesel that has proven its longevity in thousands of similarly sized boats. Service history matters more than hours alone; a well-documented engine on a boat with higher hours is generally preferable to an undocumented one.

Sails — main, genoa, and any offshore inventory — should be assessed honestly. The sail plan is generous relative to the displacement, and active racing or charter use burns through sailcloth more quickly than casual weekend use.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The First 33.7 is most widely found in the European brokerage market, particularly in France, the United Kingdom, and the Mediterranean coastal nations where Beneteau commands strong brand loyalty and the model's dual nature fits the regional sailing culture. The Australian market has carried examples since the model's initial release, where it found a following in harbor racing fleets. North American listings appear with less frequency but do surface, primarily in the northeast and on the Great Lakes, where the boat's performance credentials translate well to the local racing scene.

Because production was concentrated in a short window and the model was replaced by the 34.7, the pool of available boats is finite. Condition varies meaningfully between examples that spent their early years in charter or club fleets and those that came to a single careful owner early in their lives. The used market rewards buyers who research the specific hull's history rather than relying on the model's reputation alone.

Pre-purchase checklist:

• Commission a full survey with explicit attention to the keel-to-hull joint and chainplate bedding
• Request documented engine service history; run the engine under load during sea trial
• Inspect all standing rigging and deck hardware attachment points, particularly spreader roots and chainplates
• Assess seacock condition and all below-waterline throughhulls
• Evaluate the full sail inventory honestly — main, headsail, and any running canvas
• Check the backstay adjuster, all cockpit control lines, and the sheet/halyard routing for wear
• Below decks, trace all plumbing and look for past water intrusion behind the headliner and under the sole
• Verify wheel steering installation (if fitted) for play and cable condition; tiller examples are simpler to assess
• Confirm the electronics suite works and that connections at the mast base are corrosion-free