C&c 33

lachbus · #1 (**permalink**) 06-12-2007

Hello Guys,

I own a little old Pearson Commander (25 ft Alberg design) and was for years thinking of eventually upgrading to an Alberg 30 or Alberg 35 to go cruising longer distances. The myth of those old Alberg boats and their blue water qualities always made me wonder why they were so well priced. When I first read Jeff H's posts I was pretty shocked, and thought maybe he just fell off his too often and disliked them for that!

But since then I've been on some pretty nice boats and they do indeed seem a lot ..., well, better - at least here on the Great Lakes.
Anyway, there's a C&C33 MK1 that I'm interested in, but I haven't found much about it in these forums. I've heard that they are good build quality. I'm particularly wondering about how much of a cruiser this boat really is. It seems more geared towards racing vs. cruising. Can one single hand them? Do they have enough stowage space for extended trips? How comfortable could they be for a liveaboard? They are surprisingly spacious...

Thanks for your opinions!

USCGRET1990 · #2 (**permalink**) 06-12-2007

The C&C 33 Sloop

sailingdog · #3 (**permalink**) 06-12-2007

One reason they're generally well-priced, is that they're no longer what is "in" as sailboats go. Most modern sailboats are far beamier and lighter fin keeled designs, which are far less seaworthy...but that is what sells at the boat shows. This means demand for a full-keel, heavy, stable, somewhat narrow and cramped older designs is going to be lower... resulting in a lower price.

I've not sailed on the C&C33, but if it is anything like its big sister, the C&C 38, it's not a bad boat. IMHO, they were more geared and marketed as performance cruising boats, rather than pure racers. My friend singlehands his C&C 38 a fair bit...so I don't see why you couldn't singlehand a C&C 33.

USCGRET1990 · #4 (**permalink**) 06-12-2007

IMHO as they post, I like the full keel, whereas the rudder attaches to that keel... and the prop sticks out between that keel and rudder. This (to me) is a very durable design, hence built that way, back into the wood hull days. It may be slower, but appears to be more durable when running aground or whatever. I would imagine they certainly track better as well.
But that's just my opinion, and as we all know, an opinion is like a butt...everybodies got one!!!

sailhog · #5 (**permalink**) 06-12-2007

A friend of mine singlehands a C&C 36, and it seems to be pretty damn fast. The cockpit isn't tiny, but more in line with what you'd find on a 30' coastal cruiser. Little tight down below as well.

sailingfool · #6 (**permalink**) 06-12-2007

My buddy has owned a C&C 33 I for 28 years, and its a wonderful boat - his looks as good as the day it was launched. Everything works and nothing has broken over the years. Very well buiult and sails great.

No more difficult to single hand than any other boat - set it up with ST winches and roller-furling, the traveller is in the cockpit, so you're ready to go. Would be nice to move the main halyard and reef lines to the cockpit.

I definitely see this boat as the racer side of racer-cruiser, as the down below does not have a lot of room for the length, and the storage areas are shallow. The sloping foredeck means there is little headroom foreward of the mast, the layout does not have a seperate head...living on the boat would be similar to livin gin a four-person tent. I personally think my C&C 30 Mark II of that vintage actually had more room down below than the 33, but the best of this generation of boats is the C&C 35 Mark II. Solid, great sailing, and reasonably roomy for the length, and at this point, not a lot more than a 33...check one out and you wont be sorry that you did...

paulk · #7 (**permalink**) 06-12-2007

Practical Sailor's Used Boat Buyer's Guide has a detailed chapter on the C&C 33, and they like it a lot. Timeless good looks without having to be polished to be pretty. Performance is good, though the large genoa (and small main) typical for the period of this design might make singlehanding more difficult than a fractional rig. Roller-furling might just remove that issue. The IOR influenced after sections can make the C&C 33 a bit squirrelly dead downwind in waves with the chute up. They move right along, though, and as mentioned above, the prices seem good. Caveats might be delamination of the laminates in various places in the deck and hull (get a survey done) and the possibility of a less than happy gasoline engine that would cost a lot to replace. On the other hand, if it aint broke... enjoy it!

lachbus · #8 (**permalink**) 06-13-2007

Thanks guys for your opinions! I'll probably test sail the C&C sometime soon. As they sometimes say, first impressions with boats count as much as first looks with women (no offense meant), and this one struck a chord in me. I'm trying to lure Jeff_H out for an opinion, but he hasn't taken the bait...

Another friend has a C&C 35 (don't know which MK) but I can try to sail with that one, too, to compare.

Cheers again!

Walterd · #9 (**permalink**) 01-28-2009

I have a 1988 C&C 30 mark ll and I am attempting to find the origional mast length and the height of the goose neck. Do you know?
Thanks in advance.
Walter Diamond

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailingfool

My buddy has owned a C&C 33 I for 28 years, and its a wonderful boat - his looks as good as the day it was launched.* Everything works and nothing has broken over the years. Very well buiult and sails great. *No more difficult to single hand than any other boat - set it up with ST winches and roller-furling, the traveller is in the cockpit, so you're ready to go.* Would be nice to move the main halyard and reef lines to the cockpit.*I definitely see this boat as the racer side of racer-cruiser, as the down below does not have a lot of room for the length, and the storage areas are shallow.* The sloping foredeck means there is little headroom foreward of the mast, the layout does not have a seperate head...living on the boat would be similar to livin gin a four-person tent.* I personally think my C&C 30 Mark II of that vintage actually had more room down below than the 33, but the best of this generation of boats is the C&C 35 Mark II.* Solid, great sailing, and reasonably roomy for the length, and at this point, not a lot more than a 33...check one out and you wont be sorry that you did...

alymatt · #10 (**permalink**) 01-28-2009

That vintage of the 33' is a good boat ( actually C&C back then didn't make a bad boat really.) It is a reasonable performer but as mentioned a bit squirly downwind. Just watch for soft spots in the deck!

As someone mentioned as well, the best all round boat of that era from C&C was the 35..........very good performer as well.

None of these boats I would consider a racer / cruiser. They have modest interiors compared to real racers of that era.

Just look for a diesel engine model and one that has been looked after........it will be 10K more but worth every penny!

Good luck,