Finally got to sail a new 33.

[Juice6576]

Yesterday, my wife and I got an opportunity to take a test sail on a new Hunter 33. The boat was located in Belmont Harbor, Chicago. Of course, Murphy is alive and well and sails the Great Lakes, cause we had next to no wind. Despite the light wind conditions, the boat sailed very well in the light air, pulling a best of 2.3 knots upwind in about 5 knots of wind. The boat had the roller furling main and the 27Hp Diesel with a three bladed screw. I was impressed with the maneuverability and light air response of the boat. The boat seemed so much more maneuverable and responsive during docking than my 26. WOW! I was worried about the extra 7 feet, but the extra size was not a big issue. The boat seemed very stiff and stable, despite all of the wakes from speedboat & jet ski traffic. We live in Manitowoc, WI, and can usually count the number of boats we can see on one hand. In the big city, even the water ways are crowded.A couple of things I noticed - No vibration from the diesel to speak of at the suggested cruising RPM of 2800. The rudder seemed very light, but I have never sailed with a wheel before. It was tough to judge when the rudder was on-center. - Is this normal in light air? Will the resistance in the wheel build with higher wind speed? I would guess so, but am not 100% sure. Can you adjust the resistance in the wheel? Our current boat is a 1996 H26, and the H23.5 before that had a tiller also. This was my first time on a large keelboat with a wheel.The brochure shows a teak handrail in the cabin, just below the cabin windows. The boat we saw yesterday had a painted or laminate handrail. Is this a running change or was our test boat unique?The boat seemed well equipped: Roller main, spinnaker handling gear, upgraded winches, cockpit cushions, upgraded instruments, bimini, traveler & Cockpit light/speakers as well as the engine prop upgrade.For those of you, who have already purchased a new 33, based on your experience with the boat, what additional options would you consider or would eliminate?I would like to make a public thanks to Don Tripp of Racine Riverside Marina who took us out.

 

[Marc Honey]

Bigger is almost always easier!

Went from 24' to 28.5' to 35.5' and bigger is almost always easier to a degree. Just do things SLOW and the boat's mass will help out in most situations. Wheel steering takes some people a little time to adjust to but not being a racer, I prefer it. Best way I've found to know if wheel is centered is to mark it with turk's head knot or tape at top dead center. Yes, additional speed will make rudder "feel" more pronounced, but never have the feel of a tiller. It is not adjustable. A Yanmar that is properly aligned should not vibrate excessively at any rpm, especially a new one on brand new motor mounts. Three blade props almost always aid speed and manuverability, good option. 26' to 33' is an easy move and probably all the boat you will ever need, go for it!!!

 

[JohnEh]

Anna Belle 2004 33

Anna Belle is our new Hunter 33. We have the 27 HP, extra winches,traveler,spinnacker halyard, stereo, A/C, refrigerator, bimini, furling main, tv,dvd,remote radio, wind indicator, autopilot, gps, inverter, etal. There are teak handrails in our cabin. We did not get cockpit cushions and do not have a dodger. We did add dripless packing and a flexible drive shaft. Our engine purrs like a kitten while cruising @ 3200 RPM making in excess of 7 knots. We also added fans in all cabins, a tv antenna and a booster for the tv antenna, along with hatch covers, a pedistal cover and a companion way cover.We like the way our boat handles and become more confident every time we take it out. We think we would like a dodger. What did you think about the cockpit cushions? We want something, but don't know what is the best deal.Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[JACK]

JACK'S WYNSONG 2004 33

We have sailed our 33 in light air and 20 to 30 kts with gusts to 35kts and the wheel stays very light and we have seen 8.5kts as a top speed. We have inmast furling, 29hp engine,aft winches,autopilot,tridata,gps ploter, helm radio,cockpit cushions,bimini, traveler,cockpit light/speakers,refrigerator,freezer,oven,and stereo. We also have teak handrails. Our hull number is 171. We would have added the wind machine. We will add companion way doors, stern rail seat coushions, and spreader lights over the winter. We have enjoyed our 33 very much. It is a great sail boat.

 

[Sue22346]

WE JUST GOT OUR 33

We just got out 33 and are in love with it. I crave the water like never before. We had a 290 previously and sailed the 33 for a fun outing with the boat broker....and the rest is financial history. We found lots of good info on here from another owner (gregg-thank you) who had made the same move.We sail in Newport and are out in all winds. Mostly light and it sails like a dream. 5 kts of wind and 2.3kts SOG is easy to believe - I do it too.We sail with our two boys, 4 and 2, and the boat continues to beat every expectation. Our options were bimini, in-mast furling, stereo, remote VHF, upgraded winches, aft winches (for super easy single handling), frig, microwave, folding wheel, 3 blade prop, engine upgrade (now it is 29 hp), tridata, electric anchor windlass, and color chartplotter (C70). Believe the package is called "mariner package"Our hull # is 405 and we do have teak handrails. I would guess that the one you sailed was a very early hull (hint: did the aft seat pull out? I think that changed around hull #40).My recommendation is do it, you will not be disappointed.Even all the thru-hulls are in one location.We looked at lots of boats, new and used, from tartans to catalina, from 32 to 36 feet, and the 33 was a walkaway winner for sailability and comfort.Only think we have added was our old rail-mounted bbq and a battery life monitoring system.

 

[Gregg]

Susie and Andy

Congratulations on the new boat! You will really enjoy it.When I ordered mine, there was no 'Mariner package'. Does that include anything you haven't already listed? And the teak handrails are new - I have SS. Post some pictures in the owner's directory.

 

[Kathy]

Temptation Hull #183

We have really enjoyed sailing our new 33. We had a 260 before and this is so much different it was like learning to sail again! We didn't get the 27 or 29 hp engine upgrade but wish we had. The microwave seems kind of a waste. The few times we've used it (popcorn, etc) it seems to be very low powered. Ours does have the teak handrails in the cabin. We got almost all of the options everyone else listed including a dodger which I really like. When the wind is cold you can sit right behind it and it offers great protection! We usually have 5-15 knot winds on the lake but have had it in 40 knot gusts before with no problem. Except for me screaming Jays name repeatedly while I'm steering. He keeps telling me that leaning is good!!! I love this boat and even though we've encountered some problems, it's still the best for the money!Happy Sails to YouKathy

 

[JohnEh]

Hunter 33 Dodger

We do not have a dodger. We do have a bimini. We would like to add a Dodger. We like the idea of the dodger being attached to the bimini, but we want to keep as much visability as possible and also be able to get ventilation when it is needed. Anyone have any comments on what is best?

 

[Barry15106]

Dodger, Bimini and Connector

We went with a complete canvas set for the cockpit. It was built and installed at the dealer instead of the factory. The bimini starts at the arch and goes back. The connector starts at the arch, goes forward and zippers into the dodger. The connector has a large window so you can see through it if you are standing at the helm. We have sailed in the rain without getting wet and if the weather is nice we remove the connector to get more breeze. I have one photo (see link) in the owner's directory.BarryBear NecessityH33 #128

 

[Gregg]

Teak handrails inside.....

of course - I was thinking on deck, cuz my 290 had teak rails on the coach roof - duh!