Design and Construction
At just under 33 feet overall, with a 25-foot waterline, the Standfast 33 displaces 10,500 pounds and carries a lead-ballasted fin keel. Maas specified a single-skin fiberglass hull and a sandwich-GRP deck.
That sandwich construction does useful work below. The deck insulates against cold water and reduces condensation, helping to create a drier cabin than a single-skin deck would.
With a length-to-beam ratio of 3.12, the Standfast 33 is beamier than 58 percent of comparable designs. The resulting volume shows in the above-average headroom and mahogany interior. The interior finish follows normal production-boat practice for the period.
Her displacement-length ratio of 297 puts her among the “heavy cruisers,” with only 31 percent of similar designs being heavier. That mass contributes to motion comfort: her ratio of 25.5 beats those of 54 percent of comparable boats.
Keel, Ballast, and Seakeeping
The fin keel draws between 6.14 and 6.44 feet, depending on load. The ballast ratio is 38 percent, higher than those of 34 percent of similar boats.
The fin keel provides splendid maneuverability but gives up some directional stability compared with a long keel. A wetted surface of around 312 square feet and an immersion rate of 921 pounds per inch describe a boat that sits heavily and responds slowly to added load, in keeping with her cruiser weighting.
The capsize screening value is 1.92, a figure that, by that formula alone, would admit the Standfast 33 to ocean racing.
Rig and Handling
The Standfast 33 carries a masthead sloop rig that is slightly overrigged for her size, with more sail plan than 58 percent of similar yachts. The fin keel and spade rudder make her handy in tight quarters, though the keel sacrifices some weathercock steadiness.
The running-rigging geometry is conventional for the period. The mainsail and headsail halyards are about 101 feet long and 3/8 inch in diameter. The 12 mm sheets include an 82-foot mainsheet and genoa sheets measuring just under 33 feet.
Under power, a 27-horsepower Bukh diesel driving a shaft gives a calculated maximum speed of about 6 knots. That is just below the theoretical displacement hull speed of 6.7 knots.
Accommodations
Below, the mahogany joinery and above-average headroom make good use of the beamy hull. In northern waters, the sandwich deck’s insulation against cold and condensation is a quiet but worthwhile liveaboard asset, helping to keep the cabin drier than an uninsulated deck would.
Verdict
The Standfast 33 is a thoughtfully engineered Maas cruiser: heavy enough to feel steady, beamy enough to provide useful room, and maneuverable enough for harbor work. Her rig leans slightly toward the racing side of her weight class.
By the numbers, she is a credible bluewater candidate, although the fin keel requires more attention from the helmsman than a long keel would.
Pros
- Sandwich deck insulates the cabin against cold water and condensation
- Beamy hull, with an L/B ratio of 3.12, provides above-average space and headroom
- Capsize screening value of 1.92 qualifies her for ocean racing by that formula
- Fin keel and spade rudder provide splendid maneuverability
Cons
- Fin keel offers less directional stability than a long-keel design
- Heavy displacement contributes to a modest under-power speed of about 6 knots
