PILOT 33
Description
The Pilot 33 (also known as S&S Pilot, Fisher Pilot 33, or simply Pilot) is a classic American wooden auxiliary cruising sailboat designed by K. Aage Nielsen in collaboration with Sparkman & Stephens (design #539, their first postwar auxiliary design post-WWII). It was built primarily in wood-planked construction (cedar on oak frames, lead ballast) by Fisher Boat Works in Detroit, Michigan (starting around 1945–1946), and later by Thomas Knutson (Knutson Shipbuilding Corp.) in Huntington, New York, through about 1952; production was limited, with estimates of around 10 boats built (e.g., one documented as the third hull in 1946). This fractional sloop (sometimes listed as masthead in variants) features a long keel for stability and directional tracking, a beautiful sheerline, comfortable heavy-displacement hull suited for coastal/offshore cruising with kindly motion in a seaway, modest performance (low to moderate sail area/displacement), and traditional aesthetics; it's highly regarded among wooden boat enthusiasts for seaworthiness, fine craftsmanship, and historical significance as an early postwar Sparkman & Stephens design, though no active class association exists and examples are rare today (often restored or for sale as classics).
Construction Details
| Designer | K. Aage Nielsen |
|---|---|
| Builder | Fisher Boat Works in Detroit, Michigan |
| Length | 32.920 ft |
| LOA | 32.920 ft |
| LWL | 24.000 ft |
| Beam | 9.500 ft |
| Displacement | 12500 lb |
| Ballast | 4265 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.750 ft |
| Year Built | 1945 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 46.10 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 11.90 ft |
| p | 42.50 ft |
| e | 16.70 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46.10 ft | 11.90 ft | 42.50 ft | 16.70 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
PILOT 33 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 42.5 ft - (12954 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 16.7 ft - (5090 mm) |
| Leech | * 44.94 ft - (13698 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88.01 ° |
| Diagonal | * 45.12 ft - (13753 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 354.5 ft² |
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PILOT 33 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 38.09 ft - (11610 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 15.29 ft - (4660 mm) |
| Leech | * 34.14 ft - (10406 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.69 ft - (4173 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 260.68 ft² |
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PILOT 33 - GENOA
| Luff | * 45.23 ft - (13786 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 18.82 ft - (5736 mm) |
| Leech | * 43.13 ft - (13146 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.85 ft - (5441 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 403.66 ft² |
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PILOT 33 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 45.23 ft - (13786 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 21.42 ft - (6529 mm) |
| Foot | * 21.42 ft - (6529 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 823.5 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
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.
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