Cheoy Lee Offshore 33 Buyer's Guide
The Cheoy Lee Offshore 33 is a traditional cruising ketch built in Hong Kong and introduced in 1971, with a solid fiberglass hull, iron ballast, and a long keel. On the brokerage market she appears as a period full-keel cruiser whose light 10,482-pound displacement and 2,500-pound ballast define both her handling and her limits. Shoppers will find a split ketch rig, moderate draft, and a cockpit shaped by an oversized mizzen.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Offshore 33 carries a ketch rig with the mizzen noticeably larger than the norm in early CCA yawls, and that sail plan pushes the mizzen mast well back into the cockpit area anchor. A buyer should expect the aft bench space to be interrupted by the mizzen and the sightlines from the helm to be framed around it rather than open aft.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Teak decks are commonly fitted on these boats, a feature that bears directly on inspection since teak over a deck invites caulking and fastener-prone surfaces. A shopper should treat canvas, winches, and electronics as individual-hull variables rather than expected standard packages.
What to Inspect
The Offshore 33's light displacement and very low ballast weight set the boundaries a survey must confirm. The capsize number sits very close to the maximum advisable value of 2, and the comfort ratio is a low 26, so check the hull for any added weight or tankage modifications that could have shifted the stability baseline anchor. Because the boat will not carry sail as wind increases, inspect the rigging for signs of having been over-canvased: look for strained chainplates, fatigued standing rigging, and deck-pulled fasteners. The mizzen's heavy cockpit intrusion means the mast step and surrounding deck should be examined for compression or leakage where the larger sail loads concentrate.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States. A short viewing checklist:
- Check the teak deck caulking and fasteners for leakage.
- Inspect the mizzen mast step for compression or deck softening.
- Verify chainplates and standing rigging for over-canvasing strain.
- Confirm no undocumented ballast or tank modifications altered stability.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Cheoy Lee Offshore 33. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25 | 2 | $21,950 | — |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $19,000 | -13.4% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
2 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siltala 33 | 33.17' | $ 71,462 | 100 | 32 |
| Westerly 33 | 33.27' | $ 26,637 | 46 | 8 |