Design and Construction
Cherubini’s Hunter 33 has a raked stem and raised reverse transom. It’s built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. Below the waterline, Hunter Marine used solid fiberglass, making the lower hull monocoque glass rather than cored.
The boat measures 32 feet 8 inches overall, with a 10-foot 2-inch beam. Displacement is roughly 10,600 pounds, including 4,100 pounds of lead ballast. These figures describe a moderately proportioned cruiser.
The hull carries a fixed fin keel. Steering is by wheel, connected to an internally mounted spade-type rudder. Buyers could choose between a standard keel drawing 5.25 feet and a shoal-draft version drawing about 4.5 feet.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The masthead sloop rig carries just under 500 square feet of sail, with the mast rising 47 feet above the waterline. The spade rudder provides quick response at the helm, while an inboard motor handles docking and maneuvering, an arrangement suited to short-handed harbor work.
On the race course, the standard-keel Hunter 33 has an average PHRF handicap of 144, with ratings ranging from 150 to 141. With the shoal-draft keel, the design has an average PHRF handicap of 165, with extremes of 174 and 156. Those numbers put the boat in the cruising bracket rather than the keen-racer class.
Accommodations and Character
The Hunter 33 is a small recreational keelboat with wood trim. Its raised reverse transom and 10-foot beam provide the sort of volume associated with boats of its period. Hunter Marine originally marketed it in the United States under the Hunter 33 name.
Identification
The main concern is confusion with the Hunter 33-2004, a different design that the manufacturer also sold as the Hunter 33. A buyer working from photographs can easily attribute features of the later boat to this 1977 original.
Refits and Ownership
The Hunter 33 has now spent many years out of production. Its inboard diesel and masthead rig provide serviceable platforms for upgrades. Its fiberglass-and-wood construction, along with the choice of standard or shoal-draft keels, also makes it a legible target for modernization.
Verdict
The original Hunter 33 is a Cherubini-designed cruiser: a tractable, beamy fiberglass sloop with a wheel-steered spade rudder and a forgiving PHRF range. Its chief hazard is misidentification with the different 2004 namesake.
Pros
- John Cherubini design dating from 1977
- Solid-fiberglass hull below the waterline
- Masthead sloop rig
- Standard and shoal-draft keel options
Cons
- Frequently confused with the 2004 Hunter 33-2004
