F-33 Sport Cruiser Buyer's Guide
The F-33 Sport Cruiser is a nine-unit folding trimaran designed by Ian Farrier and built by Keals Marine in Queensland, Australia. As the cruising sister to the F-33R racer, it folds its amas for trailering and carries a carbon daggerboard that swings up on grounding. A used buyer is shopping a handful of bespoke boats, so each hull’s history and upgrades matter more than any model-average.
Layouts on the Used Market
The cruising configuration seen on Grey Hound shows the narrow main hull with a belowdecks plan closer to a 26-foot monohull, about 6 feet of standing headroom, a galley with two-burner propane stove and folding-faucet sink, an opposite U-shaped dinette berth, and a forecabin V-berth. Both amas provide storage for fenders and spare sails.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Grey Hound illustrates the practical cruising upgrades a buyer may encounter: a pair of small biminis ahead of and behind the mainsheet traveler, a solar panel of 150 watts atop the aft bimini feeding two AGM batteries, a self-draining anchor locker reachable from inside, and an all-carbon daggerboard cassette that lets the board pivot up in a grounding.
What to Inspect
The F-33’s carbon chainplates were a deliberate metal-free solution, so examine the chainplate bedding and surrounding laminate for any weep or crack that would betray past overload anchor. The all-carbon daggerboard cassette on Grey Hound-type cruising boats is meant to let the board pivot up in a grounding; confirm the board swings freely and the cassette shows no impact fracture or repair anchor. Because the amas fold in the water with a mast-support bridle, inspect the aka hinges and folding-system pins for wear, and check that the bridle attachments remain sound anchor. The vacuum-bagged foam-core epoxy hulls should be free of voids or delamination; sound the topsides and ama interiors, and look for any non-factory drilling that bypassed the consolidation. The open transom gives direct view of the carbon daggerboard-style rudder — verify it lifts clear and the stock is unbroken anchor.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
With only nine hulls produced, the F-33 appears sparingly and each sale is effectively a private treaty on a unique boat. Before committing, a shopper should:
- Sound the carbon chainplate laminate for cracks or moisture
- Swing the daggerboard to confirm the cassette is unbroken
- Check aka hinges and folding bridle for wear
- Verify rudder lift and stock integrity at the open transom
- Confirm trailer and mast-lower setup travels with the boat
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quorning 28 | 28.71' | $ 167,771 | 44 | 17 |
| Trimaran 36 | 36' | $ 110,000 | 9 | 2 |