Caliber 33 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used market for a used Caliber 33 means considering a small-production cruiser designed by Michael McCreary and built in Clearwater, Florida, with fewer than 70 sold before the model gave way to the 35. The boat's solid-fiberglass hull, encapsulated lead ballast, and careful construction make it a credible used candidate, but a buyer should focus on a few documented weak points and the realities of its compact cockpit and modest light-air pace.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, though both configurations appear, and ex-charter examples are common. The interior centers on a teak-finished saloon with a fold-up table, a port-galley with drawers rather than bins, a large dual-access head, a forward V-berth, and an enclosed aft quarter berth serving as a sea berth with a tucked-away nav station. The entry below decks is a wide, top-flared companionway of four broad steps with standing headroom, though the cockpit itself is a little cramped with narrow seats and minimal bridgedeck.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most used Caliber 33s on the market carry solar and lithium batteries as commonly fitted power upgrades, with hot water and a bimini also typical. Often-seen navigation and canvas gear includes a dodger, radar, AIS, and chartplotter. Less common but worth noting as owner upgrades are heating, an inverter, a furling main, autopilot, and a shorthanded sail-handling setup. For a buyer, the lithium-and-solar cluster means realistic anchorages without shore power, while a chartplotter and AIS reduce navigation workload; a furling main or shorthanded rigging simplifies short-crewed sailing but should be inspected for age and installation quality.
What to Inspect
The original bowsprit was an anchoring platform not husky enough, and in some cases came apart or splintered in a heavy head sea; Caliber later beefed up the platform and switched to heavier tubing, so verify which version is fitted and check for cracks or repairs anchor. The standard propeller was undersized, and owners report the shaft has come loose from the coupler on some boats, a failure worth checking at survey anchor. Exhaust grime staining the transom affected several owners, indicating a look at the exhaust run and transom finish anchor. One owner reported needing to beef up the fold-up table's bulkhead hardware, so test the table mounting anchor. The plywood-cored deck can delaminate when wet, so probe for soft spots around fittings anchor.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical availability is in the United States. For a buyer, the practical checklist is: confirm bowsprit generation and condition; check shaft-coupler security and prop size; inspect deck core for moisture; review exhaust transom staining; and assess table hardware. The used Caliber 33 rewards the careful shopper with an overbuilt, seakindly small cruiser whose known issues are well understood and fixable.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Caliber 33. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 11 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 2 | $35,000 | — |
| May 25 | 1 | $35,000 | 0.0% |
| Jun 25 | 1 | $39,900 | +14.0% |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $34,900 | -12.5% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $48,000 | +37.5% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $48,000 | 0.0% |
| Mar 26 | 2 | $24,200 | -49.6% |
| May 26 | 1 | $4,900 | -79.8% |
| Jun 26 | 3 | $59,900 | +1122.4% |
| Jul 26 | 2 | $39,900 | -33.4% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $59,000 | +47.9% |
Where they're listed
Caliber 33 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 11.
Country view
11 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $48,000 | 11 | 5 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westerly 33 | 33.27' | $ 27,055 | 54 | 8 |
| CAL 31 | 31.5' | $ 10,500 | 16 | 4 |
| Conyplex 33 | 32.25' | $ 24,500 | 13 | 2 |
| Caliber 33You are here | — | $ 43,950 | 12 | 6 |
| Cape Dory 33 | 33.04' | $ 31,750 | 10 | 2 |
| Morgan Yachts 32 | 31.92' | $ 26,990 | 7 | 0 |