Truant 33 Buyer's Guide
The Truant 33, designed by William Garden and first built by Truant Marine on Saltspring Island in British Columbia in 1977, is a 33-foot Pacific Northwest cruiser that later became the near-identical Saturna 33 under Saturna Yachts. On the used market you are as likely to meet a Saturna-badged hull from the 1980s as an original Truant, and a few California-built North Coast examples exist from 1979–1982. What unites them is a pilothouse, a fin keel, and a skeg rudder beneath a masthead sloop rig, built for year-round cold-water cruising rather than coastal day sailing.
Layouts on the Used Market
The most common arrangement pairs a quarter berth and nav station to starboard with the inside steering station just forward, and a port dinette that folds into a double berth. Forward of a step-down you find a small enclosed head and hanging locker to starboard opposite a galley praised as comparable to those on 40-foot boats, while the bow holds either a large V-berth or two staggered bunks. An Offshore variant without the pilothouse appears occasionally for those wanting a traditional cabin top, and standing headroom runs throughout with sleeping for up to five.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Equipment varies by owner on used Truant 33s. The most consequential buyer items are the pilothouse enclosure and its windows, the inside steering station linkage, and any cutter-rig conversion using an added inner forestay and running backstays seen on some boats. Tankage of 100 gallons each for water and fuel supports liveaboard use, and a small cockpit suggests checking any added canvas or sail-handling gear for wear rather than expecting guest-oriented fixtures.
What to Inspect
A viewing should focus on the design's notable features. Examine the pilothouse carefully: its windows and seals are the most complex enclosed structure on a 33-foot boat and leaks here threaten the cabin below. Confirm the inside steering station operates smoothly from the helm position and that the skeg-hung rudder shows no play at the heel. With a small cockpit, verify the high bulwarks and 30-inch side decks are sound underfoot, and check any owner-added cutter rigging for correct tension and backing plates at the chainplates.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Search broadly when considering a used Truant 33. Before committing, walk the following short checklist:
- Inspect pilothouse window seals for staining or softness
- Operate the inside steering from the helm seat
- Check skeg rudder for axial and lateral play
- Verify cutter conversion chainplates are backed and bonded
- Test galley and head systems given the compact forward step-down
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Truant 33. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 1 | $42,000 | — |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siltala Yachts Finland 33 | 33.17' | $ 68,706 | 102 | 29 |
| Tradewind 33 | 33' | $ 40,780 | 8 | 2 |
| Saturna 33 | 33' | $ 50,000 | 7 | 3 |