Design and Construction
Rhodes gave the boat his characteristic sheer, and the production hull kept the old-time look of a timber yacht rather than the slab-sided modernity that soon followed anchor. The profile shows a spoon bow, a traditional low cabin house, and a dip amidships rising gently to a long overhanging stern. Structurally, the hull was laid up with heavy, thick fiberglass and the ballast comes as a short lead keel encased within it, while the displacement is 11,500 pounds with 3,750 pounds of ballast. The builder's specification lists iron as the ballast material. With an 8-foot-9-inch beam and a 4-foot-9-inch draft, she sits among moderately proportioned cruisers of her era. Chainplates were embedded directly in the fiberglass, following the practice of the time rather than the external strap plates common to later designs.
Rig and Handling
Under sail the Danboat 33 balances well, a quality that speaks to the original hull-and-rig relationship Rhodes established anchor. Owners report, however, that she does not like to go close upwind in a short chop, can be wet in those conditions, carries some weather helm on certain points of sail, and proves slow in light air. These are the trade-offs of a moderate-displacement hull with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder married to a masthead sloop rig of roughly 450 square feet of sail area.
Accommodations
The interior was, in the words of one owner account published in Cruising World, designed to look good first, with creature comforts secondary anchor. Storage is limited throughout the cabin except in the cockpit lockers, which remain genuinely useful. The low cabin house preserves sightlines and period style but constrains headroom and volume below.
Known Issues
The embedded chainplate practice of the era leaves the deck-to-structure bond as a long-term watch item, since moisture intrusion at those fittings can undermine the surrounding laminate. Separately, access to the engine is a challenge on this model, a constraint created by the original machinery space layout rather than by any single failed component anchor.
Refits and Ownership
Most original boats have been modified and upgraded with added hatches, stoves, refrigerators, electronics, wheels instead of tillers, and small diesel engines in place of the original gasoline engines anchor. That last change is significant for ownership: the gasoline-to-diesel conversion removes a period fire-risk source and brings the boats closer to modern expectations for auxiliary reliability. Added hatches address the limited natural light and ventilation that the original low cabin house imposed.
The Verdict
The Danboat 33 is a Rhodes-designed fiberglass cruiser that preserves the visual discipline of a wooden yacht while delivering the durability of a heavy solid-glass layup. She rewards a careful skipper with balanced sailing and a timeless profile, though her light-air speed, close-windedness in chop, and engine access are real limitations. For a buyer who values classic lines and a straightforward structure, she remains a coherent entry into mid-century cruising.
Pros
- Philip Rhodes design with classic sheer and wood-yacht appearance in fiberglass
- Heavy, thick fiberglass layup with encased lead keel
- Balances well under sail
- Most survivors upgraded with diesel engines and added hatches, stoves, refrigeration, electronics, and wheels
Cons
- Limited interior storage except in cockpit lockers
- Engine access is a challenge
- Slow in light air; dislikes close-hauled work in short chop
- Can be wet and shows some weather helm on certain points
