CS 33 Buyer's Guide
Shopping for a CS 33 on the brokerage market means looking at a Raymond Wall-designed performance cruiser built by Canadian Sailcraft from 1979 until the molds were destroyed in 1987, with close to 450 produced. Most survivors show the standard aft-cabin interior rather than the rare quarter-berth version, which numbered only about 15.
Layouts on the Used Market
The predominant used layout carries a 6-foot-6 V-berth forward, a port single with footwell into a cedar-lined hanging locker (whose door serves as the forward companionway), and a starboard settee that folds to a 6-foot-4 double. A U-shaped galley with propane stove, oven, deep sink, and pressure water sits opposite a full chart table and nav station with wet locker. The 1982 factory addition of opening screened ports improved airflow in later boats. Tankage is a strong suit: the standard 35-gallon freshwater capacity was usually raised to 70 by adding a tank beneath each settee, and a 32-gallon holding tank supplements the just-over-20-gallon diesel.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Autopilots, chartplotters, and biminis are commonly fitted, while dodgers, radar, and heating often appear, and spinnakers or gennakers are frequently found for light-air sailing. A buyer should note the standard anchor well takes a large plow and a small Danforth on a built-in bow roller, and the traveler on the coachroof supports full enclosures. Less common owner additions include lithium batteries, inverters, and electric winches for short-handed sailing. The Bukh diesel (fitted to all but maybe five boats) is seawater-cooled and needs fresh-water flushing in salt use.
What to Inspect
The butyl-tape hull-deck joint oozes continually and needs annual cleaning, so check for accumulated residue and joint condition. Rudders are hollow and fill with water because glass-to-stainless bonds are not watertight water trapped inside can freeze and damage the blade in northern storage; drill-and-plug drainage is the owner fix. On a hard impact the floor member can fracture, with repair costs testers have seen reach a high four-figure sum floor-member fracture risk on hard grounding. Finally, the finished teak-and-wicker cupboards conceal the deck bolts, making fastening inspection difficult without removal.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up in Canada and the United States. For a buyer, the practical checklist is: confirm rudder drainage and freeze history, budget for annual hull-seam cleanup, inspect for prior floor-member repair, and verify the engine-flush record in salt service. A sound example offers stiff, dry-handed cruising with unusual tankage for the size.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the CS 33. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 10 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 1 | $10,000 | — |
| Jul 25 | 1 | $32,000 | +220.0% |
| Sep 25 | 2 | $34,950 | +9.2% |
| Nov 25 | 1 | $14,000 | -59.9% |
| Mar 26 | 3 | $21,031 | +50.2% |
| Apr 26 | 4 | $21,102 | +0.3% |
| May 26 | 1 | $32,500 | +54.0% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $1,534,633 | +4621.9% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $10,500 | -99.3% |
| Sep 26 | 2 | $17,549 | +67.1% |
Where they're listed
CS 33 listings appear across 2 countries. Canada has the most listings with 6 (50.0%), followed by United States.
Country view
12 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $20,890 | 6 | 2 | 50.0% |
| United States | $18,311 | 6 | 1 | 50.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
8 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contessa 32 | 32' | $ 32,972 | 68 | 20 |
| Niagara 35 | 35.08' | $ 25,185 | 15 | 5 |
| Friendship 33 | 32.8' | $ 34,057 | 14 | 7 |
| Olympic 33 | 32.58' | $ 21,539 | 14 | 6 |
| CS 33You are here | — | $ 21,037 | 13 | 3 |
| Hinterhoeller Niagara 35 | 35' | $ 20,000 | 13 | 2 |
| C&C 35-2 | 35.5' | $ 17,238 | 11 | 7 |
| Pearson 33 | 32.92' | $ 19,000 | 10 | 5 |