saturna 33 sailboat review

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33' 1981 Saturna Deck Saloon ***SOLD***

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LOCATION: PENDER ISLAND, BC ALLAN POOLE – VANCOUVER ISLAND YACHTS SALES - 1-833-UCYACHT EXT 3005

With a cozy pilothouse and sea kindly design, the Saturna 33 is a fine small cruising boat for a range of conditions.

The Saturna33 was designed by the legendary William Garden as a small seaworthy sailing vessel for cruising the cold, turbulent waters of the Pacific Northwest year-round in safety and comfort. Rare on vessels this size, the Saturna33’s pilothouse offers welcome protection from the region’s famous “liquid sunshine.”

Specifications

Boat Information:

Saturna 33 1981

Length: 33 ft

Beam: 10.67 ft

Draft: 5.5 ft

Bridge Clearance: 50 ft

Vessel Name: Sunshine

Hull Material: Fibreglass

Hull Color: white

Marina Name (Summer): Thieves Bay Dock #: A 16

Propulsion: Engines: 1 Make: Yanmar

Model: 3GM30F

Engine Type: inboard

Drive: direct

Fuel: diesel

Hours: 3200 (approx)

Propeller Type: 3

Propeller Material: bronze

Electronics:

Chartplotter: Standard Horizon

Depth Sounder: 2 - one in chart plotter; separate standalone

Spedometer: GPS SOG in chartplotter

Autopilot: Autohelm

Compass: Danforth

Radar: Chartplotter

Inside Equipment:

Heating: kerosene furnace

110v: Shore power. Hot water (also from engine)

Oven: Magic Chef

Stove: Magic Chef 3 burner

1 GROCO Toilet 

Refrigerator: Magic Chef

Mechanical Equipment:

4 6V house; 2 12V start Batteries / Trojan carbon house; sealed start Battery

Charger: Balmar alternator; 60A Truecharge110V

Solar Panels: 350 watts total

Wind Generator: South Wind Air X 400W Invertor: 1000 watt

Cockpit Accommodations and Equipment:

Bimini Top: 2 "Tartarooga" hard shell connected by canvas Dodger: stainless steel with canvas and plexi. Cushions

Interior Accomodations and Equipment:

State Rooms: V-berth; quarter berth;

Convertible Settee: table converts to main salon double

Flooring Type: parquet

Make: Main Type: dacron Condition: good

Make: Genoa Type: 100% Condition: good

Make: Working jib Type: 70% Condition: good Make:

Spinnaker Type: with sock Condition: good

Keel Type: fin

Additional Details:

Date of Last Survey: 2020-08-06

Other Details: Trojan house batteries new 2021; fresh water pump new 2021;macerator new 2021;flexible solar panel new 2021;xantrex battery monitor new 2021; GROCO head rebuilt 2021.

The Saturna packs many unique features into her modest 33 feet, most notably the incorporation of the pilothouse and a very roomy and usable layout down below for living aboard

 She has a very prominent bow and canoe stern, which, along with her pilothouse, make her stand out in every harbor she visits.

She also sails surprisingly well for such a heavy boat of this size, and in rough weather gives a feeling of security and comfort.

Measurements

33? (10.06m)

26’9? (8.15m)

10’8? (3.25m)

5’4? (1.62m)

505 sq.ft. (46.91 sq. m)

5,000 lb (2,268 kg.)

Displacement

13,500 lb (6,124 kg)

Ballast/Displacement

Displacement/Length

Sail Area/Dispalcement

60 gal (378 L)

 Holding Tank

15 gal  with macerator pump.

Disclaimer The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.

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Homepage » Yacht Listings » 33′ Saturna Offshore 33' Saturna Offshore

Listing No. 5138

Specifications

Price/ $ 52,000

Hull Material/ Fiberglass

Colour/ White & Red

Engine/ 2016

Beam/ 10'8"

Draft/ 5'5"

Displacement/ 13500 lbs

Host Office/ West Vancouver

Location/ West Vancouver Sales Dock

Moorage/ no

The Saturna 33 is a true Pacific Northwest classic. Designed by Bill Garden and built on Vancouver Island, they are the perfect vessel for year-round comfortable cruising. Known for being seaworthy and capable of handling all types of conditions, “Long May You Run” has a roomy interior that is flooded by natural light yet remains cozy with exceptional detail to the woodwork throughout. Her current Owners have made many upgrades, including a new Westerbeke diesel engine, new AC/DC wiring, new standing rigging and beautiful canvas which includes a dodger and bimini. Best of all, “Long May You Run” has been generously donated to the Disabled Sailing Association with all proceeds from her sale going right back into local programs. Recently surveyed, please contact Sonia Telford at 604-315-7157 for an appointment to view this beautiful vessel.

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Rawson 30-Gulf 32-Bill Garden

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I just came across an article in PS that mentioned the Rawson 30, and with a little investigation I found an incomplete owner site that said it was designed by Bill Garden. I've always heard that my Gulf 32, also a full-keeled pilothouse, was a Bill Garden boat. I'm wondering if anyone out there knows the history, or a source for the history, of these two boats and how similar they are and whether and when Bill Garden actually designed them. They are surely sister ships. Any naval architects out there who know their history?  

They are both Bill Garden boats. His complete collection of designs is available online through Mystic Seaport Museum archives. My boat (a Truant 33) is also a Garden boat and I got copies of the original drawings, in full size, for a nominal fee from the museum. His drawings and the annotations on them are always fun to read.  

I believe there was a thread on this within the last couple of months.  

Garden also designed the Buccaneer 305, my father had a Spice Island Cutter (1/3rd of it was bowsprit) also a Garden design .. he had many and varied boats out there. i believe the Gulf 32 is a much more refined design then the Rawson. I have looked a lot at both. While they are both stout as heck, the Gulf is a much kindlier sailor then the Rawson. There are three Rawsons and one Gulf 32 on my dock.. the Gulf 32 is a piece of art.  

Oh man, senility strikes young. Not only did I find the previous post mentioned, but was shocked to see I had even posted a comment!! Oh well. At the time I had not read about Rawson's much and this PS article peaked my interest in how similar, and yet different, it looked from my Gulf 32. Thanks for the input anyway. I do have interest in contacting Mystic Seaport and getting plans for my Gulf 32. Just for fun, if not too expensive. Sort of related to comments on both these posts, I am somewhat dismayed to see a lot of Gulf 32's come through Friday Harbor here and most of them are not well loved. In fact, I've seen at least 4 or 5 transient Gulf's and all but one have been pretty trashed. They make such good liveaboards, that I figure they get used that way by non-sailors. Shame, because she moves so well. When you see one in fine shape, they are really distinctive and beautiful! Then again, judging by the disrepair of the typical boat around here, maybe Gulf's aren't any worse off. For me, besides the joy of sailing and traveling and adventuring, having a boat is an opportunity to love a beautiful and useful thing. If I had a WHOLE lot more money I would still want to do most all the work myself, and if I had a WHOLE lot less money I would not be paying $300 month to moor a broken hulk. Takes all types...  

Some people sail boats and some folks pamper them. When comparing boats, remember that most only get about 15 days a year off the dock. Those boats should look good. Those of us who get hundreds of days a year on the water rarely have boats that look like the dock queens. There is a great Editorial concerning this subject in this month's Good Old Boat . As the guest writer Dave Martin says "That's the advantage of owning an ulgy boat: you weed out the boat snobs right away."  

Here, here, on that Plumper. Here, here. Judging by how few boats are ever away from their slips, even here in the sailing paradise of the San Juan Islands, there is no doubt these disused boats fall into two classes: immaculate because they are never used, and derelict because they are never used. When transient Gulf's come into the area I judge their repair on things like halyards and blocks and running rigging and some sign that stuff is actually being used. She's a rare beast who is both frequently used, and turns the head. When those come around, especially when they are small enough to be owner maintained, I'm always impressed. Clearly then, it is a passion. I'd like to think Aeolus fits into this category, although I know she has a ways to go to turn many heads. But, she is sailed almost every single week of the year, and often for overnights and extended trips. I have days worth of work each week just to clean up and maintain from the previous outing! Hard to find the time and money to invest in just making her look pretty.  

The only boat that ever really turned my crank on aesthetics - sadly a bit small for our uses  

Saturna 33 Go to sailboatdata.com and look up saturna 33 I bet it's very similar, it's a custom built Garden design.  

bwindrope said: I just came across an article in PS that mentioned the Rawson 30, and with a little investigation I found an incomplete owner site that said it was designed by Bill Garden. I've always heard that my Gulf 32, also a full-keeled pilothouse, was a Bill Garden boat. I'm wondering if anyone out there knows the history, or a source for the history, of these two boats and how similar they are and whether and when Bill Garden actually designed them. They are surely sister ships. Any naval architects out there who know their history? Click to expand...

Hi Plumper, Do the drawings from Mystic Seaport provide detail about the construction, the fiberglass layering used, how the ballast was put i place etc. I have been considering buying a Saturna 33 offshore and I've been struggling to find much info about them on the internet except for sailboatdata.com The biggest unknown for me at the moment is the strength of the boat's construction and what her builders intended her to be used for. Just how 'offshore' do you think she is? I have not seen the boat yet, but will be inspecting a sister-ship on this weekend. If I buy the boat I will most certainly buy the drawings from the library. Any extra info you can provide would be appreciated. Thanks George VancouverBC  

here is a useful site, at the bottom it has links to rawson/garden info--not a lot but some... RAWSON 30 Sailboat details on sailboatdata.com GULF 32 Sailboat details on sailboatdata.com both garden boats it appears  

good info on the saturna in the last post here: BoatUS Club House Messageboards: Saturna 33  

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Saffier SE33 Life review: Achingly pretty luxury daysailer

• Theo Stocker
• August 30, 2024

Who says cruising has to involve long-distance voyaging? Daysailers are enjoying a boom at the moment, so Theo Stocker went to find out what makes them so appealing

Product Overview

Price as reviewed:.

Nine! Nine point five! Ten! Eleven! Eleven point five!’ Watching the boat speed climb into double figures in the gusts was addictive; we were broad reaching back up the Needles Channel towards Hurst Castle with a Force 5 up our stern, a smooth wake fizzing off the transom of the Saffier SE33 Life and the breeze was building.

I’m not going to lie, this was a fun test sail. You need to be pretty confident that the boat you’re selling is a good sailing boat, given the fact that you don’t get much else for your quarter-of-a-million quid with the Saffier SE33 Life.

You certainly don’t get much accommodation for her size, or even standing headroom for that matter, and nor do you get a kitted-out race machine either. So just what does this 33-footer offer that makes her so special?

As we set sail, Saffier’s founder Dennis Hennevanger explained that this is a ‘luxury daysailer’ that gives you the option to sleep on board every now and then if you so wish. This might sound like an expensive toy, but the yard is now building upwards of 160 boats a year, all of them daysailers of between 24 and 37ft. While the yard is adding its first proper cruising boat – the SL46 – to the range this year, there is clearly something about these daysailers that is striking a chord with the kind of sailing people want.

The cockpit is the heart of this boat, with space for a good number of guests, without sacrificing sailing ergonomics. Photos: Paul Wyeth/Richard Langdon

The Saffier SE33 Life is a completely new model to replace the previous, highly successful SE 33. When one arrived in the UK, I jumped at the chance to find out what this boat is all about, and whether it would really suit British waters. Dennis assured me it would, given that all the boats are tested on the North Sea from IJmuiden, rather than on the Dutch inland seas, but I wanted to find out for myself.

Understated elegance

At first glance, the Saffier SE33 Life (SE standing for Saffier Elegance), lives up to her name. Achingly pretty and with a daringly low freeboard, the first impression is of a boat with extremely clean lines with very little to distract the eye. Her layout is unmistakably modern, though understated, and has resisted temptation towards current fads to retain a timeless appeal.

Polished navy-blue topsides sweep aft from an over one-metre-long carbon bowsprit. Fine bows spread out to a wide but chine-free transom. The decks are mostly flush save for a small coachroof, atop of which sits a windscreen and a sprayhood that can be folded up.

From there a vast cockpit opens up with three distinct secetion; sheltered seating forwards, twin wheels surrounded by controls for all systems on board in the middle, and finally an extensive quarter deck for lounging in the sun and sipping rosé.

A carbon mast, boom, and curved spreaders keep weight aloft to a minimum. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Core concept

This tells you a great deal about the boat and the concept that drives most Saffier models. As Dennis Hennevanger explained, ‘The concept grows out of four pillars: Simplicity of sailing and handling, but also of minimal maintenance; comfort for you and your guests on board, both in harbour and underway; safety in the construction of the boat, and the amount of stability she has; and finally speed – this is a boat that is really built for performance and easy, high speeds.’

With that in mind, a crew of three of us slipped lines on a June day that really couldn’t have been much nicer, and with wind due to build into the afternoon, we were looking forward to trying the boat out in a range of windspeeds. We started at the bottom end of Force 4 from the west, which gave us a good beat towards Hurst Castle, the ebbing tide adding to the apparent wind, giving us 17-19 knots over the deck.

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In the flat water we were easily slicing along at almost 6 knots and 28º to the apparent wind. Crack the sheets a smidgen and sailing at 35º to the apparent got us into the low sixes, all of which was achieved with a beautifully light and balanced helm, seasoned with just a enough weather helm in the gusts to let you know where you stood. It was all delightfully composed, even if decorum says we should have been tucking a reef in.

Halyard and backstay tension and dropping the main down traveller kept things under control as the breeze built. What is noticeable about this boat is the amount of heel she would tolerate; in fact, on the wind, we didn’t find a point at which should let go – easily up to 45º of heel, though you’re not sailing her right if you’ve got that much on.

33 feet of pure sailing pleasure with as little distraction as possible. Photo: Paul Wyeth

This is in part thanks to her deep single Jefa rudder, from which there is no play in the steering system; her 1.70m bulb keel, giving her a displacement to ballast ratio of just over 40%, and her increased form stability from the wider aft hull sections. The fact that this boat, as most SE33s are, was fitted with the optional carbon mast and boom, carbon curved spreaders, rod rigging, and fathead main, means there’s very little weight aloft and plenty of power.

Perfectly balanced

This isn’t Saffier’s first 33-footer, and it is in her beam being carried aft that the difference between the new and old shapes can most dramatically be seen. A credit to Saffier, however, is how well balanced the boat has remained with this beam.

As Hurst slipped by, we tucked close to the castle for the posing value and to make the most of the ripping tide. The only downside was that we found a hole in the swirling water, crashing through a mini wall of water, sending the wave cascading aft into our laps.

This kind of sailing is highly addictive. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Whilst we had very little spray in the cockpit for the rest of the test sail, it is perhaps the downside of a fine bow, low freeboard and cockpit well forward that makes this a possibility. Our test boat, like most SE33s, wasn’t fitted with stanchions, though it’s an option that lifts the boat from RCD Category C to B. Most will only trouble themselves to mar the boat’s lines in this way if they’re worried about keeping themselves or their grandchildren aboard.

Easing the sheets, we fetched over to the Needles, nudging 7 knots under plain sail, before tucking into the stunning shelter of Scratchell Bay for a fantastic photo opportunity, where we could beat to windward against the backdrop of the Needles.

Manoeuvring here gave us a chance to get to grips with the sail controls, and it couldn’t be much simpler, making the boat easy to sail single-handed. With a self-tacking jib, there’s really very little to do while beating, and sail trim is handled by the two Harken reversible powered winches at the helm, with mainsheet on one and jib sheet on the other.

Add in seat backrests for real comfort sailing from the low side. Photo: Paul Wyeth

There are two sets of buttons each side by the wheel – the forward of which controls the winch on your side, and the aft controlling the winch on the far side. With controls for ‘in’ and ‘out’, you barely need to touch a rope, let alone a winch handle. If you did want to sail with the more powerful overlapping jib, these would be controlled by the manual winches outboard of the coamings, for which a willing crewmember would be helpful.

This works extremely well; the only downside to my mind is that finding the right button to press for in and out was a matter of trial and error initially, and slightly got between me and the immediacy of the sailing experience.

That said, I was much happier at hitting the right switch and getting the result I wanted by the end of our day on the water. If your crew start to get bored, you’ll just have to set one of the downwind sails. The steering position is good, whether you want to sit or stand. I did notice the lack of a guardwire to brace against when sitting outboard to leeward, so the angle of the quarterdeck was a good alternative. This would be made even more comfortable by the addition of the optional ‘gentleman seats’ – curved backrests that slot in around the helm positions.

A broad stern adds power to the hull, while a fine entry gives good windward performance. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Making headway

It was soon time to head for home – a not entirely straightforward proposition given the three-and-a- half knots of tide now hosing out of Hurst Narrows towards us. We set the 62m2 furling Code Zero from the end of the bowsprit to see if this would help, but we couldn’t resist the temptation of chasing boat speed rather than VMG.

We were soon making 8 knots at between 60-80º to the apparent, but making precious little headway against the tide. Enter the gennaker. Launched from the hatch, 95sqm of canvas soon got to work in our favour (you could add a snuffer for easier recovery). Immediately, the boat speed jumped up to 9 knots at 120-130º apparent wind angle. It was then that we could start chasing our top speeds, and make headway against the ebb.

Accommodation is beautifully finished, but basic, with space for four to sleep at a squeeze. Photo: Richard Langdon

The need for speed

Thanks to the vast spread of canvas and the boat’s light displacement of three tonnes, this is a boat that loves to accelerate. The gusts lift the bow, the wake drops away and the speed jumps by a knot or three. With the true wind hovering around 18-20 knots – a good Force 5 – we started chasing double digits, and topped out at 11.5 knots in flat water.

We may even have let out some whoops of excitement. I felt like I’d fallen into Saffier’s well-laid trap – this kind of sailing is highly addictive. Then a badly steered gybe by me put the gennaker around the forestay and it was time to drop the kite. Had we had some waves to surf and a bit more searoom to play with, I’m told the boat has been known to push into the high teens.

A hot drink and a basic meal can be made in the small galley, and there’s space for a coffee machine. Photo: Richard Langdon

Scary sailing? Not in the least. I did over-egg it once or twice and end up stalling out the rudder, in part because the mainsheet was too short and we couldn’t fully sheet out. In any case, they were sedate, undramatic broaches and we were soon back on track. All this time, the boat didn’t heel excessively, the crew lounged on the cockpit benches, and I had a grin plastered on my face.

Occasional overnighter

After all of that, I’m not sure you’ll really care that there’s not much by way of accommodation. The owner of the test boat told me that in the year he’s had the boat, they will often sail as far as Chichester or Studland and back in a day. There’s a big double V-berth forwards, a long settee to port and the short settee to starboard can be lengthed by removing the insert from the v berth, so that you could, in theory, squeeze in four friends.

Saffier prides itself on incredibly strong hulls. The solid laminate around the keel is 25mm thick. Photo: Richard Langdon

You’ll be able to boil a kettle on the induction hob and wash up your cups at the small galley sink. Clearly, as a Dutch boat, there is also an alcove designed to house a coffee machine. The heads offers just enough space to sit and do your business, with hanging space for wet kit aft of the toilet. Stowage is commensurately limited; there’s a large drawer under the v-berth, bins under the settees and small overhead lockers above the v-berth.

Galley stowage is confined to the companionway step locker, but storage on deck is more generous. The locker under the port bench had space for all our fenders and both offwind sails, while the lazarette is also spacious. At the bow, the anchor locker opens to reveal a fold-out bow roller, keeping the anchor hidden until required, complete with electric windlass.

Stowage in the accommodation is found in drawers and bins under the settees. Photo: Richard Langdon

Finally, while you can opt for electric propulsion on this boat in the form of a 12kW drive from Torqeedo, most sailors in tidal areas would opt for the range and reassurance of a diesel inboard, as on the test boat, which was fitted with a 15hp Yanmar via a sail drive.

Construction is in vacuum-infused isophthalic fibreglass, with solid laminate below the waterline, up to one inch thick in key locations, and foam core above the waterline. To keep the accommodation layout open and devoid of bulkheads, the coach roof and deck is reinforced with carbon fibre to maximise stiffness. This is an incredibly stiff boat that Saffier insist is pretty much bomb-proof.

You’ll have privacy in the heads, though not much space for undressing. Photo: Richard Langdon

Saffier SE33 Life specifications

LOA: 11.00m / 36ft 1in Hull length: 9.85m / 32ft 4in LWL: 9.75m / 32ft 0in Beam: 2.85m / 9ft 4in Draught (standard): 1.70m / 5ft 7in Draught (shoal): 1.45m / 4ft 9in Draught (race): 2.10m / 6ft 11in Displacement: 3,000kg / 6,614 Lbs Ballast: 1,250kg / 2,756 Lbs Sail area: 54m2 / 581 sq ft Bal/disp ratio: 42% Disp/length: 88.7 SA/D Ratio: 26.4 Engine: Yanmar 15hp / Torqeedo 12kW Pod Transmission: Saildrive Water: 40L / 8.5 Gal Fuel: 40L / 8.5 Gal RCD: Category C (Cat B with guardrails) Designer: Dean Hennevanger Builder: Saffier Yachts UK Agent: Williams Marine & Watersports Website: saffieryachts.com

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At first glance, the Saffier SE33 Life might seem to fall between camps – neither ‘proper’ cruiser nor a real race boat. But as her owner told me, ‘I’m a dinghy racer at heart, so I wanted something I could really enjoy sailing, but was bigger, more comfortable and would cover decent distances.’ This boat is 33ft of pure sailing pleasure, with as little clutter as possible to distract from the fun of sailing her. The hull is incredibly stiff and light, the centre of gravity low, aided by the carbon rig, while the sail plan is powerful but remains easily handled. The deck plan puts everything at your fingertips, and the helm is beautifully engaging. Her low freeboard means she might not be the driest in rough weather, her accommodation is clearly very limited compared to some 33-footers, and the push-button sailing might take a little getting used to, but these feel like things that potential owners will shrug off as irrelevant.