Yamaha 33 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Yamaha 33 means looking at a mid-1970s Yamaha Design and Norlin design sloop built by Yamaha Marine, a 33-foot fiberglass cruiser with a fin keel and a masthead rig. She is a common sight in two markets — the United States and the United Kingdom — and the brokerage examples tend to reflect a boat that owners have kept sailing rather than stripped.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Yamaha 33 shares the same fundamental hull: solid fiberglass construction, an iron fin keel drawing 6.23 to 6.53 feet by load, and a masthead sloop rig on a 33.4-foot overall hull. The design's 45 percent ballast ratio and 222 displacement-length ratio mark her as a moderate-racer-derived cruiser, so expect a boat tuned for windward performance rather than maximal interior volume. The Motion Comfort Ratio of 21.2 places her comfort below most similar designs, a worth-noting point for buyers prioritizing quiet anchorage living over sailing zip.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Well-equipped used Yamaha 33s commonly carry solar, AIS, autopilot, and a chartplotter as standard modern navigation and power cluster. A watermaker and cabin heating are also commonly fitted, extending her range and shoulder-season use. On the sail-handling side, both spinnaker and asymmetric spinnaker setups are commonly found, and teak decks appear on many boats — a cosmetic and maintenance item to inspect closely. These clusters mean a buyer can often step into a turnkey coastal or extended-cruise boat without immediate capital outlay.
What to Inspect
The keel is iron, so check the iron fin keel for corrosion at survey — iron keels demand attentive barrier protection. The solid fiberglass hull carries no core, and verify the stated draft against load before purchase given the 6.23 to 6.53 foot range. The Yanmar YSM-12 diesel is the cited inboard option; confirm engine serial and mounting for that model specifically.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Yamaha 33 is typically found in the United States and the United Kingdom. For a shopper, the short list is: confirm iron-keel condition, verify draft and rig spec against the masthead sloop original, and favor examples with the commonly fitted solar, AIS, autopilot, and watermaker already aboard. She is a light-air performer with a high ballast ratio — a sensible used buy for the sailor who values motion under sail over floating condo comfort.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Yamaha 33. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | 1 | $38,000 | — |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $18,557 | -51.2% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conyplex 33 | 32.25' | $ 24,500 | 15 | 4 |
| Friendship 33 | 32.8' | $ 34,072 | 14 | 7 |
| CS 33 | 32.67' | $ 21,032 | 13 | 3 |
| Caliber 33 | 32.5' | $ 48,000 | 12 | 4 |
| Pearson 33 | 32.92' | $ 19,000 | 10 | 5 |