One reviewer in Teak & Steel described it as a proven ocean cruiser, with sturdy construction and a comfortable interior suited to dependable passage-making. Yachting Monthly portrayed it as a tough, go-anywhere long-keel cruiser with a flush foredeck, deep and safe cockpit, solid toerail, and spoon bow.
Design and Construction
Rock drew the Tradewind 33 after asking around 20 sailing friends what they wanted in an offshore boat. The result has a counter stern and gently curving sheer that pleases the eye without following fashion.
The boat measures 33 feet overall, with a 25ft 10in waterline, 10ft 6in beam, and 19,443 lb displacement. It carries a 5ft 6in encapsulated long keel, making it a moderate-displacement yacht that puts comfort and practicality ahead of speed.
Construction is robust, with a heavy, hand-laid glass-reinforced plastic hull, encapsulated lead ballast, and a keel-hung rudder. Some boats were owner-finished from kits or supplied as bare hull-and-deck shells during the 1970s. As a result, fitting-out quality and present condition can vary widely from one example to another.
Original boats had an almost semicircular trailing edge to the rudder. Later modified examples, including Sea Walker, have a straight trailing edge that meets the keel foot, adding rudder area low down in much the same way as the later Tradewind 35.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
Under sail, the Tradewind 33 rewards patience and persistence. It isn’t the fastest boat on the water, but its stability and tracking suit sailors who value comfort and security over outright speed.
Test sailors recorded around 4 knots at roughly 35 degrees to the wind in 10–12 knots apparent. Speed rose to 4.5 knots as the breeze increased to 14–18 knots. Off the wind, the boat held just under 5 knots until the apparent wind moved aft of the beam.
Like other long-keel yachts, the Tradewind 33 doesn’t have a tight turning circle. With bursts of power and plenty of helm, however, it can be spun on the spot. Astern, it has predictable prop walk to port and will weathercock stern-first into the wind once hull windage overcomes the propeller’s effect.
Its chief handling flaw is excessive weather helm. The later Tradewind 35 was developed to eliminate this trait by extending the ends and changing the rudderpost. A popular upgrade for the 33 is a bowsprit, often accompanied by a cutter conversion. This moves the headsails’ centre of effort forward and reduces the weather helm. Many owners nevertheless regard the helm as an acceptable compromise for the boat’s impeccable behaviour at sea.
Accommodation
Despite its 33-foot length, the Tradewind 33 feels surprisingly spacious below. The split-level layout places the galley and chart table two small steps above the saloon.
The saloon has no coachroof and relies on two overhead hatches for light. Thanks to the deep hull, headroom measures 2.1m at the aft end, reducing to 1.78m forward. The saloon settees form two sea berths, each more than 1.87m long.
Forward, the vee-berth fills the entire cabin and converts with an in-fill into a 1.87m by 1.83m double. A separate heads compartment is to port, opposite a large locker to starboard.
The compact L-shaped galley sits to port and has a bum strap for safer cooking at sea. To starboard, the chart table is more than a metre wide, although it lacks fiddles.
Yachting Monthly captured the atmosphere well: the interior feels cosy in a way few modern yachts manage, like an old pub with a log fire. That warmth contrasts with the boat’s rugged exterior.
Practical Drawbacks
Apart from the weather helm, the main caveats are practical rather than structural. Because some boats were completed by their owners, condition varies, making a careful survey essential.
On the reviewed Sea Walker, water ingress prompted the rudder to be split open and its soggy foam replaced. Its gas bottle was kept in a compartment within the port locker that drained into the cockpit, where the drains exited below the waterline. The tester would have preferred this compartment to drain directly outboard.
The shrouds are outboard, and there are no granny rails at the mast. This leaves the crew with little to brace against while reefing or handling halyards. In the cockpit, sheet winches mounted on the coaming tops can place the guardwire in the way of a full turn of the handle.
Refits and Ownership
The Tradewind 33 lends itself to thoughtful upgrades. Bowsprits and cutter rigs are common responses to the weather helm.
Sea Walker was re-engined from a Bukh to a Beta 38hp with a feathering propeller. It also gained a bow thruster, new standing and running rigging, solar panels, a wind generator, and AIS.
Access to the engine requires removal of the companionway steps and engine-box panels. Once those are out of the way, there is excellent all-around reach.
Martin Tennant has owned Sea Walker since 2022 and calls it his forever boat. He says it does everything well except go astern—a quirk he accepts in return for its composure at sea.
The Verdict
The Tradewind 33 remains desirable after 50 years because it is surefooted, solid, and undemanding at sea once up to speed. It will carry on day and night with little attention. This is a boat best judged offshore rather than in a marina, where its slow pace and awkward handling in reverse are more likely to seem like flaws than character.
Pros
- Proven ocean-cruising pedigree, with an encapsulated long keel and keel-hung rudder
- Deep, secure cockpit
- Surprisingly roomy split-level interior for a 33-foot boat
- Stable, surefooted handling and strong tracking ability that can feel tougher than the crew
- Can readily be upgraded with a bowsprit and cutter rig to reduce weather helm
Cons
- Inherent weather helm, particularly compared with the later Tradewind 35
- Awkward handling astern, including prop walk and weathercocking
- Variable build quality among owner-finished kit and hull-and-deck boats
- Little to brace against at the mast
- Guardwires can obstruct cockpit winch handles on some examples
