[1][3][5] The Cape Dory 33 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with a balsa-cored deck and teak wooden cockpit coamings and trim.
[3] The sleeping accommodation is somewhat unconventional, with a single berth mounted in the port side of bow, with a seat and bureau in that cabin.
The galley is on the port side, at the bottom of the companionway steps and includes a three-burner, alcohol-fired stove.
[3] The boat is supported by an active class club that organizes racing events, the Cape Dory Sailboat Owners Association.
[6] Reviewer Richard Sherwood noted in 1994, "like all Cape Dory boats, the 33 is designed by Carl Alberg, has a full keel, and has a medium-aspect rig.