Freedom 33 Buyer's Guide
Shopping a Freedom 33 on the used market means taking the measure of a 1979–1983 cat-ketch whose unstayed wishbone rig and lifting centerboard still divide opinion. Built by Freedom Yachts to a Jay Paris and Garry Hoyt design, she was marketed in Britain as the Freedom 35 with a bowsprit. The boat makes a comfortable cruiser, but much skill is needed to sail her well to windward, and a buyer should look past the romance of the freestanding mast to the specifics of how each example has aged.
Layouts on the Used Market
The production Freedom 33 uses an offset companionway forced by the mizzen mast location, which created an unusual but successful interior. A double cabin sits forward with the large heads opposite the chart table, while the galley runs along the starboard side and a twin-bunked after cabin occupies the stern. The hull carries full bow sections and a wide transom, making her spacious for her length, and construction standards were high when new.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The original cockpit is worked by two Barient 23 self-tailing winches and a bank of line stoppers, with every halyard, sheet, outhaul, reefing pennant, and board pennant routed aft to the helm. An optional fiberglass bowsprit for the anchor and integrally fitted man-sized chocks in the teak toerail are the notable deck fittings; below, the Yanmar 3GM diesel sits under the companionway with above-average access.
What to Inspect
The 25-gallon aluminum fuel tank lies deep in the bilge among the lead ballast anchor, so probe for diesel odor, staining, or softness in the bilge glass where a failed tank would leach. The hull and deck are balsa-cored; tap along chainplates, winch bases, and through-hulls for hollow sounding that signals core wetness. Confirm whether the boat carries the early two-part aluminum tubular masts or the later one-piece carbon-fiber spars, since the former are heavy and reduce stability. Check the centerboard trunk for impact marks and verify the board pivots smoothly in its channel without hull-breach pins. In the main cabin, measure the starboard pilot berth opening—original specs limit it to a child under 4 feet—and note the 5-foot waist-high trunk dividing the space.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States. Before you commit:
- Smell and inspect the deep bilge for fuel-tank corrosion
- Tap balsa core at all deck penetrations for delamination
- Identify mast material; prefer carbon-fiber spars
- Exercise the centerboard pivot and check trunk integrity
- Confirm companionway and cockpit drainage through transom scuppers
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Freedom 33. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25 | 1 | $18,900 | — |
Where they're listed
Freedom 33 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $18,900 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
7 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siltala Yachts Finland 33 | 33.17' | $ 68,332 | 97 | 26 |
| Catalina 355 | 35.42' | $ 200,000 | 84 | 23 |
| Freedom 35 Cat Ketch | 34.75' | $ 57,000 | 35 | 10 |
| Islander Freeport 41 | 41' | $ 43,700 | 28 | 8 |
| Friendship 33 | 32.8' | $ 35,800 | 14 | 4 |
| Freedom Yachts 30 | 29.97' | $ 25,800 | 12 | 4 |
| Freedom 33You are here | — | $ 18,900 | 1 | 0 |