At heart, the 33 is a 33-foot Alberg long-keeler: heavy, moderately canvassed, and intended for cruising rather than light-air speed.
Design and Construction
Alberg’s hand is clear in the full keel and attached rudder, which help the 33 track well both on and off the wind. Substantial overhangs give her the familiar profile of his cruisers.
The boat displaces 13,300 pounds on a 24-foot-6-inch waterline and carries 5,500 pounds of lead ballast, for a ballast-displacement ratio of 41 percent. Her displacement-length ratio is near 404, while the sail-area-displacement ratio is just 15.6. Together, those figures describe a heavy cruiser with a moderate sail plan, not a light-air sprinter.
The hull is a solid laminate of plastic resin and fiberglass cloth, with greater-than-average thickness for a production sailboat in this size range. That deliberate heft, combined with the ballast, helps explain the boat’s composure once loaded. Fiberglass-encapsulated members, full and partial transverse bulkheads, and molded fiberglass liners support the hull. Attachments and secondary bonding are generally sound.
The deck uses a composite of fiberglass, resin, and balsa core. This construction provides stiffness while saving weight, but it also introduces a vulnerability that the solid hull doesn’t share.
Rig, Sailing and Handling
Cape Dory offered the 33 with either a sloop or cutter rig, and the choice matters. The cutter has real advantages in heavy weather and offshore conditions, while the sloop, with its large genoa, performs better on the Chesapeake.
With either rig, the boat shows her heritage most clearly in moderate to heavy air. She’s initially a little tender but firms up nicely at about 15 degrees of heel. From there, she behaves like the steady Alberg cruiser she is.
The full keel’s tracking is an advantage in a seaway and under autopilot. However, the same overhangs that give the boat her profile mean that too much weight in the ends will blunt performance. That’s worth remembering when stowing anchors and ground tackle.
Accommodations
Below, the Cape Dory 33 follows a conventional Alberg arrangement. Starting forward, there’s a berth, followed by a port-side head and lockers to starboard. The main saloon has opposing settees. Farther aft are a starboard navigation station, a quarter berth, and a port galley.
The forward berth is an L-shaped single that can be extended into a double with some effort. The reviewing sailor said he would rather have seen a standard V-berth. The interior is functional and traditional rather than expansive, but it provides straightforward cruising accommodation.
The later Cape Dory 330 addressed the forward-berth arrangement with a true V-berth cabin, followed by a starboard head with shower. In the saloon, the settees were moved farther outboard to create a more open feel, and a large galley spanned the after cabin.
Engines, Tankage and Refit Priorities
Depending on the year, power came from either a 23-horsepower Volvo or a 24-horsepower Universal marine diesel. Parts and service remain readily available for either, and, when properly maintained, each is capable of several thousand hours of dependable running.
Tankage consists of 21 gallons of fuel and 74 gallons of water. Those modest capacities are better suited to coastal cruising than to long, self-sufficient passages.
Because the hull is solid fiberglass, a buyer’s refit effort is better directed toward deck-core repairs and chain-plate access than structural hull work.
Known Issues
The balsa-cored deck is the boat’s main weakness as she ages. Moisture saturation of the core and delamination are not uncommon, particularly along the side decks near the chain plates and other rigging attachments.
Cape Dory also used a mild-steel bracket for the lower-shroud chain plates. If leaks persist, that bracket can suffer considerable corrosion and wasting. Inspection is difficult because the chain-plate areas are obscured by the installed fiberglass hull liners, so they require careful attention if serious problems are to be headed off.
Elsewhere, aging Cape Dory 33s commonly show water saturation and delamination in the rudders, along with moderate osmotic blistering on the hull.
The Verdict
The Cape Dory 33 is a quintessential Alberg cruiser: heavy, steady, and reassuring in a blow. Her hull has a degree of substance that few contemporaries matched. Owners must respect the vulnerabilities of the balsa-cored deck and the concealed mild-steel chain-plate brackets. In return, the boat offers a forgiving, sure-tracking platform that rewards traditional cruising instincts.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull laminate that is thicker than average for the size
- Full keel and attached rudder that track well on and off the wind
- Readily available engine parts for both Volvo and Universal diesels
- Composed handling that firms up past 15 degrees of heel
Cons
- Balsa-cored decks prone to moisture saturation and delamination near the chain plates
- Mild-steel lower chain-plate brackets that can corrode if leaks persist and are difficult to inspect
- Rudder saturation and delamination, plus moderate osmotic blistering, as the boat ages
- Conservative 15.6 sail-area-displacement ratio that limits light-air pace
