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Silverton 33 Convertible
by Tom Thompson
Long list of standard equipment, large living space, right price
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Silverton’s new 33 Convertible is a very enticing entry into the world of flybridge-style boats if you’re considering stepping up from a center console or an express cruiser. She has an impressive list of standard features and a surprising amount of interior space for this size range. Best of all, the price is very appealing.
The 33 Convertible is classic Silverton — a roomy and comfortable cruising boat that can be configured for serious fishing. There are two full staterooms as opposed to one, plus a storage locker with a bunk. That’s something unusual in a boat this size. The master suite is forward and has a queen-size pedestal berth placed at an angle along the starboard side. This gives more room to move about the cabin, as well as space for a bench seat along the port side. For storage, there’s a lighted hanging locker in the aft port corner and three drawers under the berth.
The second stateroom is amidships to port. The most important thing it has is privacy. You enter by opening a solid wood door off the centerline companionway. It, too, has a queen-size berth and a full-length hanging locker. There’s standing headroom in the dressing area at the foot of the berth.
The 33 Convertible’s head compartment is on the opposite side of the lower deck companionway. It has a standard fiberglass countertop, a medicine cabinet and an electric head.
Living Spaces
You can’t match the advantage a flybridge boat has over an express cruiser when it comes to the openness of the salon; having windows all around sure beats some of the darker interiors you might otherwise find. Every seat in the salon on board the 33 Convertible has a great view of the outdoors. Screened windows on each side allow for cross ventilation. The settee to starboard opens into a berth, while the one to port has a removable dining table in front of it. For entertainment, you can order an optional 20-inch LCD TV with a DVD player. It mounts on a shelf below the windshield.
The galley is in the forward starboard corner on the same level as the salon. The Corian countertop runs along the wall, so space is maximized in the salon. There’s a deep-basin stainless steel sink and a single-burner stove on the countertop, plus a refrigerator underneath. The microwave oven is mounted in the bulkhead at the top of the companionway to the lower deck.
The Guts
Entry to the 33 Convertible’s engine room is through two removable panels in the salon floor. For a boat this size, I was surprised to see the amount of access around the engines, especially forward where the belts, alternators and water pumps are mounted. The boat’s 200-gallon fuel capacity is split between a pair of 100-gallon tanks outboard of the engines.
If you order the optional generator, it lives in a separate compartment aft, accessible through a hatch in the cockpit deck. With or without the generator, there’s a good deal of usable storage space here.
The 33 Convertible can be gas- or diesel-powered. Twin Crusader 5.0L MPIs are rated at 275 hp each, and 6.0L MPIs are 375 each. The boat also can be fitted with a pair of Yanmar 315 hp diesels for good fuel efficiency in long-range cruising.
Our test boat was powered by the larger gas engines. They had strong acceleration and took her to a top speed of just under 30 knots. The 33 Convertible is a nimble boat, both at slow and fast speeds. Although there wasn’t one installed on our test boat, a bow thruster is an available option. Smaller flybridge boats, because of their lighter weight, tend to roll in chop or when passing through wakes. The 33 Convertible handled sloppy water well with little lean.
Abovedecks
A wide and gradual stairway takes you to the flybridge. The angle is not much steeper than you’d find at home — also a nice feature, when you think of the flybridge ladders that often grace boats in this size range. Seating up here includes a double bench at the helm, another bench to port of the helm that faces aft and a three-person bench along the aft edge of the flybridge deck. Bimini top and side curtains are options you’ll probably want.
Elsewhere abovedecks, the side walkways are wide and easy to traverse. A windlass option is available. At the stern, the transom has a walk-through door that can access the optional swim platform.
Price Is Right
Silverton did an exceptional job in building this boat for a base price under $200,000. It was done without cutting corners in construction or making a long list of options.
There is a quality look to the furnishings and décor. The cabinetry is well made, using cherry wood throughout. Items such as an electric head, trim tabs, Corian countertops and even little things like engine hourmeters, are standard. What’s more, the company backs what it builds with one of the most comprehensive warranties of its kind, the Silverton Armor Protection Program. It is a two-year stem-to-stern coverage against manufacturing defects.
If you’re ready to move up to a flybridge, take a good look at the Silverton 33 Convertible. And for the hard-core angler, keep an eye out for Silverton’s new T-Series, showcased by the 45T and 50T tournament-ready models. They were scheduled to debut at the Miami International Boat Show in February and are chock-full of standard fishing equipment, from an in-transom baitwell to an all-aluminum bow- and grabrail system.
Contact: Silverton Marine Corp., Millville, NJ; (877) 863-5298; www.silverton.com
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This article first appeared in the March 2007 issue of Sea Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
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