That small production run makes the Nonsuch 33 a rare and distinctive member of the unstayed cat-rig family that Ellis developed across nine models from the late 1970s onward.
Design and Construction
The Nonsuch 33 carries the hallmarks of Ellis’s catboat philosophy in a larger hull. It has a plumb stem, a vertical transom, and a fixed fin keel. Overall length is 33.42 feet, with a 31.46-foot waterline and a broad 12.5-foot beam.
Displacement is 15,350 pounds, including 6,050 pounds of lead ballast. The resulting ballast-to-displacement ratio is 39.4 percent, giving the boat a settled, purposeful feel for its size. The hull is built predominantly of fiberglass, with solid laminate in both the hull and deck. An internally mounted spade rudder is controlled by wheel steering, placing helm authority close to the center of the roomy cockpit.
Rig, Handling, and Performance
The defining feature is the cat rig: an unstayed mast with a wishbone boom. This arrangement eliminates the web of standing and running rigging found on a sloop and leaves the boat with a single, vast sail of 669 square feet. There are no shrouds or headstay to trim around.
The Nonsuch 33 has been fitted with several small diesel engines, including the Japanese Yanmar 3JH2T-BE, the Universal M35, and the Volvo MD2040. These drive the boat under power, while the single rudder is operated by wheel steering.
On the racecourse, the boat’s PHRF handicap averages 171, with a recorded low of 168. That places it among moderate performers in mixed cruising fleets rather than out-and-out racers.
Accommodations and Cruising Capacity
The Nonsuch 33 doesn’t follow a conventional sloop interior arrangement. Its cat rig frees the foretriangle and places the mast well forward, opening the main saloon across an uninterrupted beam. The vertical transom and 12.5-foot beam support a wide, open cabin trunk, while the plumb stem carries hull volume to the bow.
Tankage also points to a cruising-minded interior rather than a daysailer. The boat carries 96 gallons of water and 40 gallons of diesel. Its comfort ratio of 25.6 suggests a stable platform both at anchor and underway.
Ownership Notes
Hinterhoeller Yachts built the bulk of the 67 boats after production began in 1988. Wiggers Custom Yachts subsequently produced a few hulls and eventually acquired the molds.
The cat rig’s simplicity is the central ownership advantage. With no headstay or shrouds to inspect, and a wishbone boom that manages the sail, a standing-rigging survey is largely reduced to the mast step and the unstayed spar itself. The solid-fiberglass hull and deck are also straightforward for a surveyor to assess.
Verdict
The Nonsuch 33 is a specialized cruiser for sailors who value uncluttered decks and one powerful sail more than the flexibility of a headsail inventory. Ellis’s development of the Nonsuch 30 produced a beamy, lead-ballasted 33-foot catboat with modest racing pretensions and a genuinely uncommon production run.
Pros
- Unstayed cat rig and wishbone boom simplify the deck layout and rig inspection
- Broad 12.5-foot beam and 96-gallon water capacity support comfortable cruising
- Solid-fiberglass construction
Cons
- Only 67 were built, limiting brokerage availability and familiarity with spares
- The cat rig and average PHRF handicap of 171 suit relaxed cruising more than spirited racing
- Construction by two builders complicates production-history tracking
