Yamaha 33

[Captn D]

Looking through the Yamaha brochures online it says on one page "the engine is now aft", or words to that effect, and the engine is a 3GM (27hp). Clearly it was an early model boat I sailed that had a 9 hp 1GM under the forepeak berth. It worked OK though, though if you wanted to get anywhere quickly you were better off under sail except in a flat calm.

I owned a Yamaha 30 in Hong Kong for about 8 years. It had the forward mounted 9hp 1GM engine; supposedly a favourable arrangement under the the then IOR rating rule. I also sailed a 33 and, if my memory serves me correctly, it had a normal aft mounted engine. They are very strongly built boats and last years with little maintenance. Somewhat cramped inside compared with modern yachts of a similar size and being relatively heavy probably slower.

 

[jimi]

How much of a battering did you give it Jim ?

Not in this case, me , but John after a particularly ill considered mooring manouvre ;-)

 

[PerformanceSailor]

+1 on the Y-33

I did a multi-day delivery on a '79 Yamaha 33 a couple years ago. Open ocean, but not too rough.
The construction quality and gel coat finish were top notch. With a coat of wax it looked like it was under ten years old.

Like the early models built to rate well under the old IOR, it had a 12 hp Yanmar single horizontal cylinder engine in a well-insulated compartment forward. I found I could sleep on top of it with no regrets. The shaft went under a very strong mast step support, thru a pillow bearing, out just aft of the keel root. What with the prop almost parallel to the DWL the engine was extremely efficient. It also helps that this scheme put the prop very deep under the boat in clean water. We could motor at six kts all days. Chop would slow it down a bit, but not as much as I had thought that it would.

Boat was 100% designed for ocean sailing,with a great cockpit layout, traveler right at hand on a bridgedeck. 2 speed primary winches are huge by modern production boat standards and the cleats and chocks would be right at home on a 45 footer.

Life raft storage compartment built in at rear of cockpit. While some had an optional wheel, this one had a tiller.
It was a well thought out boat. Since then the owner has gone on line and has even found a contact person at Yamaha for replacement of a pair of broken hatch hinges. It's nice to have some small measure of factory support after all these decades.

Cheers,
L

 

[Way]

Thanks again all....very helpful