At 10.36 metres overall, she has low freeboard, a graceful spoon bow, a hint of sheer, and a well-drawn-out counter stern. The builder describes her as beautiful and as the perfect antidote to yachts whose designers have forgotten what pleasure there is to be had in simple aesthetic beauty.
Design and Construction
Beneath the waterline, the Rustler 33 is defined by her narrow, deliberate form. Her beam is just 8 feet overall and appreciably less at the waterline. With so little beam and such a narrow waterline, she has little in the way of form stability.
Instead, her righting moment comes from ballast. Within a modest displacement of under 2,700 kg, 35 percent of her weight is slung low in the keel. All of it is lead, because iron would be too much of a compromise. She has a bulbed fin keel and fully balanced rudder.
A smooth rocker and stern sections that are subtly fuller than those of similarly slim boats from years past aid downwind performance. Low wetted area keeps her light on her feet. Her 34-foot hull tapers to a 22-foot 6-inch static waterline that grows considerably as she heels.
Teak decks are fitted to most boats. The structure includes substantial frames, and all joinery is bonded to the hull. There are no interior mouldings except in the heads. The tiller connects to the rudder stock through a drag link, allowing it to be mounted on the aft deck.
Rig and Handling
The Rustler 33 carries a large but easily handled rig. The forestay is set inboard in Folkboat fashion, while the furling drum sits below deck. Its furling line also runs below deck all the way to the cockpit locker, using a slim, single-groove Bartels system from Germany. With no external halyards, there’s little to disturb the airflow over the deck.
The mast is keel-stepped, allowing a slimmer section. A 2:1 backstay is led down the mast and aft to the coachroof, where it can be winched. An 8:1 mainsheet makes easy work of the mainsail, and a well-timed tack reduces the need for the winch handle. An increasing number of owners choose carbon rigs to improve comfort and performance further.
Yachting Monthly found her surprisingly quiet and described her as a dry boat where a sprayhood was neither needed nor missed. The boat can be handled by one person and easily by two. She is also light and slender enough to tow behind a car to new cruising grounds.
Accommodation
The standard layout has a large double berth forward and two settee berths, one to port and one to starboard. Sitting headroom over the settees is a comfortable 1.1 metres, although there is no standing headroom. The small interior warms up quickly.
A separate enclosed heads compartment to port contains a toilet and hand basin. Behind the toilet is access to an amply proportioned wet locker, positioned right aft to help keep the rest of the boat dry. For a boat of this kind, the enclosed heads is generous.
The galley is to starboard, with a basin outboard and room for a single-burner stove. Galley stowage sits behind the cooker area. Testers noted that the galley is only really usable while seated.
Cabin woodwork is finished in satin varnish or eggshell white. The builder says the joinery is constructed from high-quality materials in accordance with the best yacht-building practice. Many interior finishes are available for owners who want more wood.
Safety Category and Deck Fittings
The Rustler 33 is classified as Category C under the RCD because of factors including the absence of stanchions and guardwires—a “fence” in the parlance of owners of such boats. Fitting guardwires moves her straight into Category B.
The deck fittings are designed to preserve her clean appearance. The cleats are the pop-up type, as is the navigation light on the bow. A removable bow roller is usually bolted on only when needed.
The builder’s brief was clear: the boat had to be fast and pretty, big enough to house a loo, and look absolutely gorgeous.
Verdict
Practical Boat Owner admired the way the Rustler 33 combines the superior handling qualities of her traditional design with the practicality of modern materials and systems. Period reviews describe her as charming to sail and painless to own, with enough accommodation for weekending.
She is a well-built coastal cruising yacht offering easy, fast fun, but she isn’t an offshore cruiser.
Pros
- Narrow hull and lead-ballasted bulb keel provide righting moment without relying on beam-dependent form stability
- Large, easily handled rig, with an inboard forestay and below-deck furling that help keep the decks clean
- Quiet, dry, towable hull that can be handled by one sailor
- Generous enclosed heads and an amply proportioned aft wet locker for a 33-foot weekender
Cons
- No standing headroom, and the galley is usable only while seated
- Category C rating until guardwires are fitted
- No stanchions or guardwires as standard
- Anchoring requires a bolt-on bow roller
