Saturna 33 Buyer's Guide
The Saturna 33 — originally the Truant 33 — is a William Garden-designed 33-foot cruiser built for cold-water, year-round sailing, with production beginning on Saltspring Island in 1977 and continuing under Saturna Yachts through the 1980s. For a buyer scanning the brokerage market, the appeal is a solid fiberglass monohull with a pilothouse option, a roomy liveaboard layout, and a reputation for seaworthy behavior in rough conditions. Most examples on the used market trace to the Truant or Saturna builds, and regional availability centers on Canada and the United States.
Layouts on the Used Market
The most common layout pairs a starboard quarter berth and nav station with an inside steering station just forward, and a port dinette that folds into a double berth. Heading forward, a step down brings you to a small enclosed head and hanging locker to starboard with a galley to port, while the bow holds a large V-berth or two staggered crew bunks. A pilothouse version with enclosed helm is the signature configuration; the Offshore variant without a pilothouse appears less often and suits those wanting a traditional cabin top. Standing headroom throughout and sleeping space for up to five make the boat a credible liveaboard for cooler climates.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Boats on the used market commonly carry a chartplotter, radar, autopilot, and heating — the kind of kit that matches the boat's year-round Northwest and Great Lakes intent. Hot water and a bimini are also commonly fitted. Often-seen upgrades include solar and an inverter, supporting extended anchoring without shore power. Less commonly, a dodger or electric winches show up as owner additions; some owners added an inner forestay and running backstays to convert the sloop to a cutter rig, a meaningful offshore enhancement rather than a cosmetic one.
What to Inspect
A buyer's survey should focus on standard age-related items. Note that the cockpit is small by design — a benefit in heavy seas but a tight space for guests — and confirm the pilothouse enclosure and steering station are intact and free of leaks. The canoe stern and prominent bow are fixed design features; inspect the skeg-hung rudder and long fin keel for ground contact given the 5-foot-4 draft.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for the Saturna 33 are Canada and the United States. For a shopper, the checklist is straightforward: confirm pilothouse integrity on enclosed-helm versions, verify the galley and dinette conversion function, check rudder and keel for grounding damage, and assess whether solar or inverter upgrades meet your energy needs. The boat rewards the buyer who values protected steering and interior volume over a large cockpit or light-air speed.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Saturna 33. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 6 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25 | 2 | $50,000 | — |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $43,172 | -13.7% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $50,688 | +17.4% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $46,931 | -7.4% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $37,000 | -21.2% |
| Aug 26 | 2 | $59,950 | +62.0% |
Where they're listed
Saturna 33 listings appear across 2 countries. Canada has the most listings with 4 (66.7%), followed by United States.
Country view
6 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $46,931 | 4 | 0 | 66.7% |
| United States | $43,500 | 2 | 2 | 33.3% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
5 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siltala Yachts Finland 33 | 33.17' | $ 68,706 | 102 | 29 |
| Sadler 34 | 34.75' | $ 33,967 | 22 | 4 |
| Pearson 33 | 32.92' | $ 19,000 | 13 | 5 |
| Saturna 33You are here | — | $ 50,000 | 7 | 3 |
| Morgan Yachts 32 | 31.92' | $ 27,108 | 7 | 0 |