Rhodes Swiftsure 33
Description
The Rhodes Swiftsure 33 (also known as the Swiftsure 33 or Seafarer Swiftsure 33) is a classic American fiberglass cruising sailboat designed by the renowned naval architect Philip Rhodes in the late 1950s. Built primarily by Seafarer Yachts (Long Island, New York) from 1959 to around 1965, it's a shoal-draft cruiser/racer blending traditional aesthetics with practical offshore capability for its era. Rhodes, famous for designs like the Rhodes 19, Bounty, and various NY 32 derivatives, gave the Swiftsure graceful lines, a sea-kindly motion, and good performance in varied conditions. The boat was marketed in different versions (e.g., "Swiftsure" with bronze hardware/mahogany trim for a more traditional look, and "Commodore" variants with stainless/aluminum fittings for lower maintenance). Production was limited (estimated 50–100 hulls), making well-preserved examples somewhat rare and collectible among classic boat enthusiasts. It's praised for its beauty ("one of the prettiest boats ever" in owner forums), solid build quality, and versatility—suitable for coastal cruising, occasional offshore passages, or liveaboard potential in a compact package.
Construction Details
| Designer | Philip L. Rhodes |
|---|---|
| Builder | Seafarer Yachts |
| Length | 33.000 ft |
| LOA | 33.000 ft |
| LWL | 29.750 ft |
| Beam | 10.000 ft |
| Max Draft | 6.500 ft |
| Min Draft | 3.500 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 39 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 13 ft |
| p | 34 ft |
| e | 14.70 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 ft | 13 ft | 34 ft | 14.70 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Rhodes Swiftsure 33 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 34 ft - (10363 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.7 ft - (4481 mm) |
| Leech | * 36.29 ft - (11061 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 36.57 ft - (11147 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 257.3 ft² |
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Rhodes Swiftsure 33 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 32.89 ft - (10025 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 17.34 ft - (5285 mm) |
| Leech | * 28.36 ft - (8644 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 14.95 ft - (4557 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.02 ° |
| Area | * 245.81 ft² |
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Rhodes Swiftsure 33 - GENOA
| Luff | * 39.05 ft - (11902 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 21.1 ft - (6431 mm) |
| Leech | * 36.61 ft - (11159 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.5 ft - (5944 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.03 ° |
| Area | * 380.7 ft² |
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Rhodes Swiftsure 33 - GENOA
| Luff | 38 ft - (11582 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 19.58 ft - (5968 mm) |
| Leech | 35.75 ft - (10897 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 140 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 18.2 ft - (5547 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.23 ° |
| Area | * 345.75 ft² |
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Rhodes Swiftsure 33 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 39.05 ft - (11902 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 21.45 ft - (6538 mm) |
| Leech | * 35.93 ft - (10951 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 628 ft² |
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Rhodes Swiftsure 33 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 39.05 ft - (11902 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 23.4 ft - (7132 mm) |
| Foot | * 23.4 ft - (7132 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 777 ft² |
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Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.