Deck Plan Sail Plan
Evaluation of the C&C 1987 33
March 1, 1988
Like so many of their current models, the C&C 33 is
often referred to as the "new" C&C 33, to distinguish it from the totally
different C&C 33 produced between 1974 and 1977. While some of the specs
are similar, the current 33 is an entirely new boat, not sharing any of the
tooling of the old 33. The old 33 was widely regarded as one of the prettiest
racers around, and 209 of them were built. They continue to be highly salable
on the used boat market.
In design, the new C&C 33 is distingly modern, though
it has conservative lines. C&C has not gone after the
"Euro" look in any of the models. Like the other new
C&C models, the boat has a flat sheer, sharply reversed
transom and sharply angled bow. Though most people will
probably consider the older models prettier - with their
saucy sheer and low deckhouses - the new 33 is good
looking and recognizable as a C&C even from a distance.
The hull is modern but not radical, with a fine entry and
cutaway forefoot. There's a hard turn to the bilge about
a foot below the waterline, and the very center of the hull is
flat. The standard fin keel in conventionally modern, but
there's both an optional shorter fin and a keel/centerboard
combination available for the boat. A small skeg is fitted
ahead of the spade rudder. The static waterline is somewhat
shorter and the beam somewhat narrower than most
other boats in her size. "Moderate" is a good term to
summarize the whole concept of the boat.
The new 33 was introduced in 1984, and 192 of them
have been built in the first three years - impressive production
considering the company's business problems in the
middle of the run, and heavy competition in this size
from American and European companies. The success of
this model indicates that there is still a hard-core clientele
out there who are not interested in style fads but instead
want a good moderate design that is well engineered and
well build, a boat than can be both raced and cruised.
CONSTRUCTION
Hull and Deck
Hull construction represents a departure from traditional
C&C practices, in that only the forward panels of the hull
are balsa cored. The rest of the hull is a conventional hand
lay-up of mat and roving, with a isophthalic gelcoat and
skinning resin. The 33's larger sisters (35, 38, 41, and 44)
have balsa coring throughout their hulls, while the smaller
sisters (30 and 27) have no coring at all in the hull.
The cored laminate offered stiffness and strength combined
with light weight, and was one of C&C keys to
building tough race boats that wouldn't flex too much, yet
which still kept the total weight down. To achieve stiffness
and strength without the coring. C&C is now using what
they call a "spider" system: basically a structural framing
bonded to the hull and integrated with the attachment
points for the rig and keel. The hull laminate itself becomes
relatively less important structurally, as the fram
becomes the primary load-bearing structure of the boat.
Undoubtedly the decision to move from balsa coring to
"skin and frame" construction is based partly on the economics
of building and partly on the strength calculations
for the engineering, and we really cannot say what proportion
of each affected the decision. It is noteworthy to us that
the company which has been almost synonymous with
balsa coring should be going in this direction, and that
they seem to genuinely believe their advertising statements that
this "next generation" engineering is superior to the old.
The deck is one-piece molding with balsa core in the
horizontal surfaces, and hardware is backed up with both
aluminum and Coremat for strength in the attachment
points. The testured non-skid is adequate.
The gelcoat is generally of good quality and the hull is
generally fair. We examined a two-year-old boat and found
that the finish had help up and that there were no signs of
stress cracking anywhere, even though the boat had been
raced seriously and used hard.
The hull-to-deck joint is standard practice, with an
inward-turning hull flange on which the deck is set. Stainless bolts run
through the joint and through an aluminum toerail
which covers the joint. The whole stem fitting as well as the
corner pieces for the toerail are the heavy aluminum
casting that are tradition on C&C boats, but it is interesting
to us that C&C is using plastic modings for the stanchion
bases on the 33.
The rudder is fiberglass over a webbing of stainless
welded to the stainless steel rudeder post. The standard fin
keel (6'4" draft) is external lead, bolted to a stub on the
hull. The centerboard is unusual in that it is a fiberglass
molding with some lead inside, and board is fitted entirely
inside a shallow keel (4'4" draft) fitted to the hull.
The fiberglass board is lighter (for lifting) and quieter
than a more common steel board which will tend to bnk
around in the centerboard trunk. The fiberglass molding
also makes for a better-shaped and fairer fin for upwind
work. The lifting cable is housed insided the keel, so it
presents no drag and makes no noise at speed. The cable
passes through the cabin, housded in a stainless steel tube
which also supports the cabin table, and is led to a stopper
and winch on the aft end of the cabin house.
The fin keel weight 3,975 pounds (42% of total
displacement); the keel/centerboard, at 5,258 pounds, is much
heavier. Normal displacement for the fin-keel version is
9,450 pounds; for the centerboard version 10,733 pounds.
Rig
The early model that we sailed had a rig from C&C spar
shop, known in its time as a builder of sturdy high-performance
rigs. A striking change since the business reorganzation
is that the spars on the latest models come not from
C&C, but from Offshore Spars in Detroit. Though well
known in the Midwest (they make the spars for the S2 7.9
and 9.1, as well as custom race rigs), the company's rigs
are not often seen on the East or West Coasts except on
grand prix racers.
We examined just one spar from Offshore, and it appears
that little will be lost in the change. The mast and
boom are fairly heavy extrusions, painted white, with integral
grooves for taking bolt rope or slugs. The mast comes
standard with internal halyards and lifts, as well as an internal
wiring conduit and VHF cable. The boom has built-in
slab reefing gear. The mast is stepped on the keel.
The standing rigging is made up of Navtec stainless rod,
tangs, and turnbuckles, with 1 x 19 stainless for the adjustable
babystay and for the split part of the lower backstay if
you don't opt for a hydraulic backstay adjuster. Main and
jib halyards are stainless with rope tails, and we were
surprised to discover that the wing halyard is galvanized
steel with a rope tail. The shroud chainplates, set inboard
for close sheeting, are attached to the hull by stainless rods
between the deck and hull anchorpoints.
The boat comes standard with good quality hardware for
rig control. Spinaker winches and gear, boom vang,
and backstay adjuster are options you'll have to buy, but otherwise
the rig is essentially ready to be tuned for racing.
Engine/Mechanical Systems
The Yanmar 2GM engine is a bit tight in the engine
compartment, but otherwise the installation is first rate. The
engine beds are actually part of the structural "slider"
beams. The engin box is insulated with sound deadener,
and the engine is about as quiet as you can expect a two-cylinder
diesel to be. The standard solid prop should be
replaced with a folder.
The electrical system and plumbing are well done. Electricity
includes a good 12-volt system with ample interior
lighting and a a 120-volt shore power system, with the 50'
shore cord, as standard equipment. A three-burner propane
stove with oven and safety solenoid is standard, as is hot-and-cold
pressurized water. The 30-gallon water tank is adequate for typical cruising, though ocean sailors may
want to convert the standard 24-gallon head holding tank to fresh water storage.
Installation of all the quipment - like the electrical hot water heater, and the valving for the water
system - is secure and seamanlike.
PERFORMANCE
Handling Under Power
The 20 hp Yanmar is big enough to handle the boat. We
were under power only in fairly flat water, with an optional
Martek folding prop, and had no problems backing or turning.
The engine pushed the boat to hull speed easily. We
suspect a big head sea will challenge the peak output of the
engine, probably slowing the boat to four knots or so, but
the amount of power is ample for all reasonable sailors in
almost all conditions.
Steering is with the standard 36" destroyer wheel.
Throttle and shift controls are integral to the pedestal, and
visibility over the deck house is good when you are sitting
on the 'bubble hump' behind the wheel.
The aluminum fuel tank holds 20 US gallons which
should be good for about 180 miles of powering under
normal conditions. The engine control panel is in one 'bay'
of the T-shaped cockpit. You can't see it easily from the
steering position, but that a very minor inconvenience.
Access to the engine is adequate, through the removable
companionway steps, through oepning panels on both the
port and starboard side of the engine, and through the
cockpit seat locker.
Handling Under Sail
We probably wouldn't have considered writing up the C&C
33, if we hadn't sailed it first. The boat does look like it
should be an all-around wholesome boat, but we initially
thought of it as not particularly a standout in its size and
price range.
Our first sail convinced us otherwise, as we eventually
chartered one for three races, in a four-race series. We
found the 33 to be a fine sailer, just about everything we
would want in its size.
What did we find so appealling? Basically, it is a boat
that combines good performance with comfortable sailing.
To put it another way, it performs well without demanding
the incessant tweaking and crew movement of so many
high-performance boats. We found that a group of five
(nearly) middle-aged racers could push the boat hard and
make it sail well, without reverting to being collegian hotshot
Lazer sailors. In short, unlike so many contemporary
performance boats, the C&C 33 is not an oversized dinghy.
We sailed the centerboard version and found no particular
shortcomings. With a good set of sails, the boat was at
least as weatherly as any boat in her PHRF division. We
tried sailing the reaches and the runs with board up and
with the board down and could not discern any difference
in speed, though as charterer we deferred to the owner's
conviction that the boat was faster off the wind with the
board up. (It did give the crew something to do.) The boat
seemed to steer as well with board up as with it down.
With the extra weight, we presume that the centerboard
model is a little harder to push around a race course in light
air, but in 15-knot winds, she had to ask no favors, and in
the 22-knot wind we saw for one race, she was a pleasure to
sail compared to the other boats on the race course.
In heavy air, she seemed to easily sail to her PHRF
rating of 135, making her roughly comparable in speed to
a J/30, Pearson 39, an many of the early 1970's one-tonners.
For racing, the fin-keel model is supposedly three to
six seconds per mile faster than the centerboard model.
Intesestingly, for the fourth race of the series, we left
the C&C docked and sailed on one the boats in her class,
an S2 9.1, knows as a speedy boat with good accommodation. It was
a striking contrast, like a big dinghy, which has
to be tamed and brought to submission in order to go fast.
The C&C 33 - with approximately equal speed through the
water - seemed like a sweet kitten in contrast.
Our handicap let us win the series of races with two
firsts and a second. In absolute terms, we know that there
are faster boats around. Most of them, unfortunately, are a
pain to handle as the wind pipes up, and we wouldn't want
to sail them on some of the long, rainy slogs that we
usually encounter in crusing. Shorthanded, most of the
faster boats are miserable.
The C&C 33, in contrast, is an easy sailer, respectable in
light winds, and a pleasure in heavy.
LIVABILITY
On Decks
The deck layout on the C&C 33 is conventional. The
double lifelines with port and starboard lifeline gates,
pulpit, and pushpit are sturdy, well made, and come as
standard equipment. The pushpit has a gate which can be
pitted with an optional stern ladder - a good idea for both the racer and cruiser.
Like most modern boats, the foredeck is quite narrow, so
anchoring and sail handling can be difficult. The walkways
leading aft are wide because of the inboard shrouds and
easy to move along either heeled or upright because of the
moderate deck camber.
Because of the sculpting and window shape, the cabin
house looks low, but it is actually quite high - a difficult
step up from the walkways or cockpit. Fortunately, because
all the lines lead aft to the back edge of the cabin, there's
not much occasion to walk on the cabin top abaft the mast.
Forward of the mast, the cabin slopes gradually into the
deck, and movement is easy. However, the skylight over
the head and forward hatch are slippery stumble-makers
and need to have non-skip tape put on them.
We haven't seen a dodger for the 33 yet, and sculpting
of the cabin house may make it difficult to design a wide one. A
narrow dodger, fitting just over the companionway, would work well
The cockpit is a conventional T-shape with a bridgedeck
on which the traveler is mounted. An optional cabin-top-traveler
is available, but there seems to be little to recommend it.
The cockpit seats are comfortable for sitting but
too short to lie down on. The forward part of the coaming
is okay for sitting, but you'll be inclined only to stand on
the cockpit sole, aft of the bench seats. The cockpit is
definitely skewed a little toward the racing side of this
boat's dual purposes, and it will be a much better cockpit
underway that dockside.
Hardware is good quality and well arranged. The standard
hardware winches are of adequate size, though the boat is stiff
enough to carry a heavy 150% genoa in 20 knots of wind,
and that's a handful for the #24 primaries unless the racing
crew is on board. Self-tailers are now standard for the
primary winches, so no other upgrades should be needed.
As is the case in most modern boats, there's not too
much abovedecks storage room. An anchor well forward
will stow a Danforth, but everything else will have to go
into the one aft locker under the starboard cockpit seat. It's
a cavernous locker, but the serious cruiser will have to
devise a way to sub-divide it to make it more usable.
Behind the helmsman are a small locker for propane bottles
and a small stowage spot for winch handles or beer cans.
On Decks
The arrangements belowdecks are convntional: a V-berth
forward, head with shower opposite a hanging locker; port
and starboard settees outboard of a saloon table; L-shaped
galley; nav station at the head of a double quarterberth
(well, maybe one-and-three-quarter quarterberth). From the
center bulkhead aft, the boat is wide open, which seems to
us like a more sensible arrangement than the "Euro" compartmentalizing
of the aft cabin and aft head, at least in a boat
this size.
Here's a couple of good details. A decent built-in bureau
in the forward cabin is a nice touch. The head compartment
is a single fiberglass molding, including even the wash
basin - all compact and well designed. The galley is quite
serviceable, with a good stove and a stainless bash bar to
keep you from crashing into it.
The teak ceiling and bulkhead veneer contrast with the
off-white hull liner. The liner is well done, with removable
panels for servicing hardware fittings, wiring, and so on.
For some reason, the covers for the instrument "pods" on
the aft bulkhead were a chintzy teak plywood, poorly cut.
But otherwise, all the detail below was plain but well
thought out - pretty characteristic of C&C cabins.
Overall, the cabin is comfortable. We've often heard
older C&C's rapped as "leaky" boats, with drips around
windows and under heavily-loaded deck hardware, but the
boat we sailed had two seasons of serious racing and crusing
as was completely dry.
CONCLUSIONS
The C&C 33 is a pricey boat. The serious racer addicted to
a full complement of brown sails and electronic gadgets
can top $80,000 with the boat delivered and ready to race.
The cruiser can keep the price down, but the C&C 33 will
still be one of the more expensive boats a prospective buyer
will look at. Nonetheless, we think its a good boat, worth
considering.
If we were entirely devoted to racing, we'd probably
look at something different - mabe a Frers 33 or perhaps the new
J/33 or possibly even a J/35. If we were entirely
into cruising, we'd also look at different boats - maybe
something more like a Nonsuch or a Mason 33.
But if we wanted to continue the kind of sailing life we
enjoy most - with a good share of racing contrasted with
some serious weekending and at least one long cruise a
season, sailed shorthanded - the C&C 33 would be among
the very few boats we'd buy. Though in some ways she
seems plain and undistinctive, she is admirably suited to be
both a racer and a cruiser - a tough combination to find in
the modern market.
And the economics aren't that bad. The boat comes with
an extensive list of standard equipment so, beyond sails and
electronic, there's not a lot you'ss have to buy. Further, the
company continues to have a good reputation, perhaps even
enhanced by their quick recovery from hard times, and the
boat should hold its value as well as any on the market
today. With a good dealer network in North America, the
normal hazards and pains of buying a brand new boat will
also be diminished.
We suspect the C&C 33 won't be as likely to attract
first-time buyers. Instead, it's a boat for sailors who truly want a racer-cruiser
and know what they're look for.
The 33: Old and New
| Specifications | 1974 | 1987 |
| LOA |
32'10" |
32'7" |
| LWL |
26'5" |
26'2" |
| Beam |
10'6.5" |
10'6.5" |
| Draft |
5'6" |
6'4" |
| Displ |
9,800 |
9,450 |
| Ballast |
4,000 |
3,975 |
| Sail area |
514 sq.ft. |
511 sq.ft. |
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