Design and Construction
The Sun Odyssey 33 shares its lineage with the earlier Sun Liberty 34. Its profile combines a raked stem with a reverse transom, steps, and a swimming platform.
The boat measures 33.79 feet overall, with a 26.38-foot waterline and an 11.48-foot beam. It displaces 10,362 pounds and carries 3,444 pounds of ballast, giving it a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 33.24 percent and placing it firmly in the moderate-volume cruiser class.
Construction is predominantly fiberglass with wood trim. Below the waterline, the boat has a fixed fin keel drawing 6.46 feet and an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a wheel. The draft suits mixed coastal and inland sailing without demanding extreme depth.
Rig, Handling, and Auxiliary Power
The Sun Odyssey 33 has a fractional Bermuda sloop rig. The foretriangle measures 41.08 feet for I and 11.48 feet for J, while the mainsail has a 35.10-foot luff and an 11.15-foot foot.
Total sail area is 431.48 square feet, divided between a 195.68-square-foot mainsail and a 235.80-square-foot jib or genoa. A symmetrical spinnaker may also be equipped for downwind sailing.
The fractional rig and modest wetted surface support a hull speed of 6.88 knots. The spade rudder provides predictable close-quarters control, while a 17-horsepower diesel handles docking and maneuvering.
Accommodations
Jeanneau offered two interior layouts. The two-cabin version sleeps four. It has a double V-berth forward, a U-shaped settee and a straight settee in the main cabin, and an aft double berth to starboard.
In this version, an L-shaped galley sits to port, just aft of the companionway, and includes a three-burner stove, ice box, and sink. The navigation station is forward of the galley on the port side, with the head opposite to starboard.
The three-cabin version sleeps six by providing two aft double berths. It has a straight galley amidships to port, with the navigation station aft of it and the head opposite.
Both layouts have a 77-gallon fresh-water capacity and a 17-gallon fuel tank, practical cruising volumes for a boat of this size.
The Verdict
The Sun Odyssey 33 is a pragmatic Andrieu-designed cruiser that updated the Sun Liberty 34 platform with a reverse transom and swim steps, a fractional Bermuda rig, and a choice of two- or three-cabin interiors. It’s well suited to a couple or small family looking for a simple, beamy 33-footer with a European production pedigree and a manageable sail plan.
Pros
- Two- or three-cabin layouts accommodate four to six people without oversized dimensions
- Fractional sloop rig, with a symmetrical spinnaker option for light downwind sailing
- Reverse transom, steps, and swimming platform make boarding and stern access easier
Cons
- The 17-horsepower diesel is modest for a 10,362-pound hull in strong currents or winds
- The 6.46-foot draft limits access to shallow anchorages compared with shoal-draft alternatives
