Design and Construction
What defines the Rustler 33 beneath the waterline is her narrow, deliberate form. Her beam is just 8 feet overall and appreciably less at the waterline, and with that lack of beam and narrow waterline she has little in the way of form stability anchor. The righting moment comes from her ballast rather than hull shape: 35 percent of her weight is slung low down in the keel, all of it in lead because iron would be too much of a compromise, within a modest weight of under 2,700 kg and a bulbed fin keel with a fully balanced rudder. Below the waterline a smooth rocker and subtly fuller stern sections than on similarly slim boats of yesteryear aid downwind performance, and the low wetted area keeps her light on her feet. Teak decks are fitted to most boats, and the structure shows substantial frames with all joinery bonded to the hull and no interior mouldings except in the heads, while the tiller is connected to the rudder stock via a drag link that places it on the aft deck.
Rig and Handling
The Rustler 33 carries a large, easily handled rig with the forestay set inboard in Folkboat fashion, the furling drum set below decks with the furling line run below decks all the way to the cockpit locker, using a slim single-groove Bartels system from Germany. The mast is keel-stepped for a slimmer section, and 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, while an increasing number of owners choose carbon rigs to further enhance comfort and performance. Yachting Monthly found her surprisingly quiet, a dry boat where a sprayhood was not needed or missed, and able to be handled by one person and easily by two. Her 34-foot hull tapers to a 22-foot 6-inch static waterline that grows considerably as she heels anchor, and she is light and slender enough to tow behind a car to new cruising grounds.
Accommodations
The standard interior layout is a large double berth forward with two settee berths to port and starboard, and separate heads to port containing a toilet and hand basin with access to the wet locker from behind the toilet — a wet-locker that is amply proportioned and placed right aft to keep the rest of the boat dry. The enclosed heads is pretty generous for a boat of this nature. The galley area to starboard has a basin outboard and room for a single burner stove with galley stowage behind the cooker area; testers note the galley is only really usable when seated. Sitting headroom over the settee berths is a comfortable 1.1 metres, though one cannot stand upright inside. The cabin woodwork is finished in satin varnish or eggshell white, and the small interior warms up quickly. The builder notes the joinery is constructed from high quality materials in accordance with the best yacht building practice, and many interior finishes are available for those who would specify more wood.
Safety Category and Deck Fittings
The Rustler 33 is classified in Category C under the RCD because of factors such as the absence of guardwires and stanchions — a "fence" in the parlance of owners of such boats — and fitting guardwires puts her straight into Category B. She has no external halyards to disturb the wind passing over the deck. Cleats are of the pop-up type, as is the nav light on the bow, and a removable bow roller is usually bolted on only when needed. The builder's brief held that she had to be fast and pretty, big enough to house a loo, and look absolutely gorgeous.
The Verdict
Practical Boat Owner admired a boat that combines the superior handling qualities of her traditional design with the practicality of modern materials and systems, and period reviews praise her as a charm to sail and painless to own with enough accommodation for weekending. She is a well-built coastal cruising yacht that offers easy, fast fun, though not an offshore cruiser.
Pros
- Narrow, lead-ballasted bulb keel gives righting moment without beam-dependent form stability
- Large easily handled rig with inboard forestay and below-decks furling for clean decks
- Quiet, dry, towable hull that one sailor can handle
- Generous enclosed heads and amply proportioned aft wet-locker for a 33-foot weekender
Cons
- No standing headroom and galley usable only seated
- Category C rating until guardwires are fitted
- No stanchions or guardwires as standard; anchoring needs a bolt-on bow roller
