1984–1989 · designed by Al Mason (Alvin Mason) · built by Ta Shing Yacht Building Co. (Taiwan) — commissioned and imported by Pacific Asian Enterprises (PAE), California
Small heavy-displacement offshore cruiser — the smallest member of the Al Mason / Ta Shing / PAE family. Practical Sailor describes her as "a moderate traditional design that harks back to the CCA handicapping rule of the 1960s... a modern full-keel hull, with a cut away forefoot and sharply turned bilges to reduce wetted surface." Same Pacific bluewater design philosophy as the Mason 43 and Mason 53 (seakindly motion, keel-hung rudder, heavy-laminate construction), scaled down to a couples-friendly platform. Masthead sloop rig — not a cutter (the Mason 43 is the cutter; the 33 is a sloop). Designed for tropical cruising and credible offshore passagemaking in a manageable hull size; not a coastal racer.
This is a general read on the Mason 33 class — informed
background, not a verdict on any individual boat. Condition, refit history,
and how a particular hull was sailed and stored matter far more than class
reputation. Use it to know what to look for; for a read on a specific
listing, run a free FairKeel report on that boat.
Ta Shing build quality — the same yard that built the Mason 43 and Mason 53 (and many of the most-respected Taiwan-built bluewater hulls of the era). Ta Shing's reputation for hull lamination and teak joinery is class-defining. Practical Sailor's verdict: "we can find little about her we don't like."
Heavier-than-normal solid fiberglass laminate with four full-length longitudinal stringers + isophthalic resin (less blister-prone than ortho resins of the era) — Practical Sailor highlights these as differentiators that put the 33 above typical 1980s production construction.
Full-keel offshore credibility in a single-hand-friendly size. The 33 ft size class is materially easier to manage solo than the 43, while preserving the seakindly motion + bluewater pedigree of the Mason design family.
Strong owner community via Mason Yacht Owners group + the PAE/Mason owners site (mason-sailboats.org) — shared with the Mason 43 and Mason 53 owner base. Institutional knowledge of class-specific issues is well-shared across the family.
Known trade-offs
Limited interior volume for sustained liveaboard. The Mason 33 is a passagemaker first, liveaboard second — couples planning multi-year tropical cruising should weigh the tankage + storage constraints against the larger Mason 43.
Smaller fuel (35 gal) and water (65 gal in two tanks) capacity than the Mason 43 — meaningful range limit for offshore passage planning. Tankage upgrades are possible but the hull form constrains how much extra capacity can be added.
Two-blade prop "hammering" vibration under power — inherent to the full-keel/attached-rudder hull form per Practical Sailor. Three-blade props eliminate the hammering but trade off light-air sailing performance. PAE recommended owners carry both and swap before long passages.
Below-WL access for through-hull replacement requires cabin sole or settee removal, same as the Mason 43, but compounded by the tighter interior working volume. Labour multiplier (1.5-2.0x) for any below-WL work applies here too.
Not a windward performer — outboard shrouds + full-keel hull form mean she does her best with wind ahead of the beam through broad reach. Practical Sailor: "she rolls a lot dead downwind in heavy air."
No permanent swim-ladder mount possible — traditional transom slope rules out the conventional transom mount, and no side-gate solution has been devised. The teak ladder PAE sells is a stow-and-deploy option. Minor but a real liveaboard friction point.
Age-related quirks to expect
Stress cracking at the deadwood-to-hull rounding by year 35-45 (NOT a keel stub — this hull has no fin-keel stub; the relevant zone is the deadwood-to-hull rounding on the full-keel hull)Mediumall (age-driven)
Engine progression — early hulls (~1984-86) came with 21hp Westerbeke diesel; later hulls upgraded to 27hp Yanmar three-cylinder. Many hulls now repowered (Beta Marine 25-30 is the common owner pattern).Medium1984-1989
Encapsulated iron ballast (5,320 lbs, in two pieces taped into the hull molding) — Practical Sailor notes "Americans are more accustomed to lead keels...but iron interior keels are fairly common in the Oriental boats, and we don't hear of many problems." Inspect for keel-sump water + rust signs.Lowall (architectural)
Optional teak deck overlay (where fitted) reaching end-of-life by year 30-40 — not all Mason 33s have teak decks; verify per hull.Highhulls fitted with optional teak overlay
Original aluminum fuel tank (35 gal capacity) — age-related pitting + leak risk at 35+ yearsMedium1984-1989
Original 1980s bronze fittings on a 35-40 year-old full-keel hull. Practical Sailor notes the hull is reinforced in the way of seacocks and each through-hull is identified with a nameplate. Access constraints similar to the Mason 43 — cabin sole or settee removal often required for the deeper bilge fittings, with the labour multiplier compounded by the smaller interior working volume.
Original wire + tangs typically due at 25-30 years. Chainplates on the Mason 33 are bolted through teak-clad bulkheads (same Ta Shing pattern as the 43) — leak paths around chainplates often hidden behind joinery. Mast is keel-stepped, so mast-step bilge water history matters. Outboard shrouds spread the rig load wide on the deck — inspect deck-edge tie-down hardware carefully.
Engine (early 21hp Westerbeke vs. later 27hp Yanmar 3-cyl vs. repower)priority: offshore, coastal, liveaboard
Practical Sailor verifies the 21hp Westerbeke on early hulls and 27hp Yanmar three-cylinder on later hulls. The 21hp is "probably near the minimum size for the American market" per PS — adequate for offshore work but light on reserve. Many Mason 33s have been repowered with Beta Marine 25-30 or modern Yanmar equivalents; a repowered hull is a meaningful value-add. An original engine at 35-40 years should be assumed near end-of-life unless service records prove otherwise.
Rudder bearing + keel-rudder hinge hardwarepriority: offshore, coastal
Keel-hung rudder (Practical Sailor: "long keel/attached rudder") hardware wears over decades of offshore use. Service interval is class-known; lift-out inspection of the rudder bearing and the keel-rudder hinge points should be on any pre-purchase survey scope for a 35+ year-old hull.
Inward-turning hull flange with deck resting on top, fastened with through-bolts under stainless flat-bar washers (every other bolt also penetrates the teak toerail). Practical Sailor notes "the only complaint we have heard about the older Masons was some leaking in the hull-to-deck joint, but it's hard to see how the joint could leak on the 33" — the 33's joint design is improved over earlier Mason hulls. Inspect for sealant degradation around genoa-track bolts + toerail bolts at age 35+.
How it fits your plans
Offshore
Designed for it at a smaller scale than the Mason 43. Full-keel motion + masthead sloop rig + heavy displacement (14,020 lbs on 25' 5" LWL) for the size class — credible Pacific / Caribbean platform for couples or single-handers who prefer a manageable hull over the 43's volume. Practical Sailor: "For someone wanting a serious blue water cruiser or a liveaboard boat in her size range, she is the logical choice."
Coastal
Overbuilt for coastal work but a forgiving and easy single-handing platform. Slower than fin-keel boats of the same LOA — windward work is not her forte (outboard shrouds, full-keel hull form). Best with wind slightly ahead of the beam through broad reach.
Liveaboard
Workable for a couple but materially tighter than the Mason 43. Smaller fuel + water tankage limits sustained tropical liveaboard range. Below-WL access constrained by the smaller interior working volume.
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