Design and Construction
Cherubini's 33 carries a raked stem and a raised reverse transom, and is built predominantly of fiberglass with wood trim. The hull sits on a fixed fin keel, and steering runs through an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a wheel. At 32 feet 8 inches overall with a 10-foot 2-inch beam and roughly 10,600 pounds of displacement balanced by 4,100 pounds of lead ballast, the boat reads as a moderately proportioned cruiser. Hunter Marine constructed its hulls using solid fiberglass below the waterline, a practice meaning the lower hull is monocoque glass rather than cored.
Rig and Handling
The masthead sloop rig places a 47-foot mast above the waterline and carries just under 500 square feet of sail. The spade rudder gives quick response at the helm. On the race course, the standard-keel version carries a PHRF average handicap of 144, ranging from 150 to 141, while the shoal-draft keel version drawing about 4.5 feet against the standard 5.25 slips to an average of 165 with extremes of 174 and 156 With the shoal draft keel the design has a PHRF average handicap of 165. Those numbers place her in the cruiser bracket rather than keen racer class.
Accommodations
The Hunter 33 is a small recreational keelboat with wood trim. The raised reverse transom and 10-foot beam suggest period volume, and the inboard motor fitted for docking and maneuvering speaks to short-handed harbor work. The builder originally marketed the boat under the Hunter 33 name in the United States.
Known Issues
The design is often mistaken for the 2004 Hunter 33-2004, which was also sold as the Hunter 33. A buyer working from photographs can easily attribute the later boat's traits to this 1977 original.
Refits and Ownership
Ownership spans a long out-of-production life, during which the inboard diesel and masthead rig are serviceable platforms for upgrade. The boat's fiberglass-and-wood construction and standard fin or shoal keel options make it a legible target for modernization.
The Verdict
The Hunter 33 is a Cherubini-designed cruiser: a tractable, beamy fiberglass sloop with a wheel-steered spade rudder and a forgiving PHRF band. Its chief hazard is misidentification with a different 2004 namesake.
Pros
- John Cherubini design lineage from 1977
- Solid fiberglass hull below the waterline
- Masthead sloop rig
- Standard and shoal keel options
Cons
- Frequently confused with the 2004 Hunter 33-2004
