Design and Construction
Solid fiberglass hull and deck are backed by an iron ballast, and the long-keeled, double-ended form gives the 33 MS a measured, seakindly footprint rather than a racer’s finesse. At 32 feet 11 inches overall with a 27-foot 9-inch waterline, a 10-foot 6-inch beam, and a 4-foot 5-inch draft, she is a modest-sized vessel of about 15,400 pounds displacement. The comfort ratio of 35 and a capsize screening value near 1.69 place her firmly in the coastal cruiser camp. A similar-styled Fjord 28 was also built, but the 33 MS is the more substantial expression of the type.
Rig and Handling
Under way the 33 MS proves handy but unspectacular under both sail and power, with a big genoa and small main driving a masthead-sloop rig that favors the forward sail. The helmsman’s world is unusual: in some versions the cockpit carries a curious division with the person steering placed in his own section aft, from where he could handle both sheets without leaving the seat. That self-contained command post suits short-handed coastal work, even if the underbody and rig plan promise no sparkling performance.
Accommodations
Fjord produced two distinct interior designs, and the difference is more than cosmetic. In one layout the large wheelhouse gathered an inside steering position, navigation area, and galley under one roof, while the saloon dropped a couple of steps below with pilot berths and the heads sat forward with a double forecabin. The other version used a combined cockpit and saloon arrangement with opposing settees for dining, shifting the galley and a pilot berth up into the wheelhouse. Both plans reflect a motor-sailer priority: sheltered steering and a social interior over Spartan sailing simplicity.
The Verdict
The Fjord 33 MS is a pragmatic coastal motor sailer with a long-keeled, double-ended hull and two genuinely different interior philosophies. She will not win passages to windward, but she offers sheltered command and a roomy, practical cabin for her length.
Pros
- Built in large numbers by a Norwegian yard to a purposeful Amble design
- Two interior layouts, both with protected steering and a real navigation station
- Long keel and modest draft suit gunkholing and shallow harbours
Cons
- Unspectacular performance under sail and power
- Divided aft cockpit in some versions is an acquired taste
- Big-genoa, small-main rig limits balance and light-air drive
