Edel Cat 33

Must we see in this an unfailing attachment to sailing boats? The architect-builder, Maurice Edel, passed away on the eve of the opening of ‘Le Nautic’s’ doors... With the help of his brother, Pierre, who died in 1987, he held the reins of Edel and designed all the first generation models – except for the Edel 3. After their company went bankrupt in 1983, the twins launched themselves into the production of catamarans, with the Edel Cat 15 and the 26. In 1985, the 33, designed in collaboration with Sylvestre Langevin, was a robust, rustic boat, offered at a low price. The hulls and the cockpit/bridgedeck assembly can be dismantled, thanks to an assembly of aluminium beams. The engine is a simple outboard, protected by a cover. The 33’s originality is its deck plan: each hull is independent, served by its own companionway. The central nacelle is therefore isolated by two wide side decks. The machine, logically delivered in kit form was quickly nicknamed ‘Edel Kit’ by the dealers, which didn’t stop it being appreciated by the charter companies. Over 4 years, 60 examples of this catamaran were produced. 130 examples of the Edel Cat 35, an improved version of the 33 – possibility of inboard engines, higher bridgedeck, sugar scoops and increased sail area – were produced. Patrick Cazenave presented his Noroaz 5 – north-west, in Breton – to us on a nice autumn afternoon. Of course, the gel coat on this nearly 30 year old catamaran was faded and deserved a good polish, but the structure was sound: no cracking or suspicious flexibility as we moved around the deck. The light offshore breeze facilitated the manoeuvre to leave the quay: the single outboard motor, well protected in its housing, has a very restricted range of lateral movement: it’s hard to carry out a neat manoeuvre under these conditions. It is advisable to anticipate your manoeuvres well, use the prop wash and not hesitate to help yourself with mooring lines... Patrick has adopted a powerful, brand new 20hp motor: “normally, a 15hp is sufficient", the skipper noted.

Strong, compact rig

In the channel, we hoisted the fully-battened mainsail and unrolled the genoa. Despite the light wind – no more than 5/6 knots, the Edel Cat moved satisfactorily and could easily do without its engine, which was easily raised. Of course the very compact rig limits the boat’s possibilities. Another thing we noticed: our cat, with its short keels, tacked on a sixpence. There was no need to back the genoa. We suspected that Patrick preferred sailing in a good breeze: “in a good breeze, the 33 particularly appreciates points of sailing from a beam wind to a broad reach.” Just like all quite lazy catamarans, you must be thinking... But thanks to its slim hulls and moderate displacement this one is nevertheless capable of good top speeds: Patrick has already seen 16.5 knots on the GPS. The previous owner assured him that he had reached 20 knots! Average speeds of 7 to 8 knots on long passages are not rare. In short, despite its old design, the Edel Cat 33 has no reason to be envious of modern cruising boats. With one exception: the bridgedeck is very low and easily slams in the seas. And not just a little: even that of the 35, which has nevertheless been raised by thirty centimetres, still slams! “The kettle jumps 10 cm!” Patrick laughed. “The boat slams to windward in a metre of short chop. It sails better again when the seas get bigger.” So we were partly reassured. The Edel Cat 33 is capable of undertaking some nice trips. Bernard, one of Maurice Edel’s brothers, moreover sailed across the Atlantic and back, singlehanded. As for Patrick, he hasn’t hesitated to leave the Arcachon basin to sail across the Bay of Biscay, to either Brittany or Gijon. “But when there are long passages to windward, we stay in harbour or change our itinerary,” he explained.

An original, attractive deck plan

It is therefore this famous deck plan, with side decks extending the cockpit, which makes this model so original and pleasant. Access to the mast foot and the trampoline is particularly easy and safe, even in rough weather. And the perfectly sheltered side decks are an excellent place for a siesta. The fittings are rustic: the two nice self-tailing winches fitted by the skipper are not a luxury. The same goes for the windlass…Patrick found one on eBay, for 13 euros! Our model was equipped with a steering wheel, whilst most 33s only have tillers. The mechanism is quite simple and can be disconnected in a few seconds. Reassuring in case of damage. The accommodation offers three distinct volumes. The central nacelle is occupied for the most part by the saloon. Next to the cockpit, there is an L-shaped galley to port and a small chart table opposite. There is very little stowage space, but ‘lowering the hood’ at anchor, thanks to the folding bulwark, is a pleasure : the top of the coachroof can be lifted, thanks to an ingenious ‘Edel’ system, perfected at the beginning of the 1970s. Each hull has a double berth aft and a heads, served by a companionway. Our skipper, who usually sails with his partner, has dismantled one of the WCs. The forepeak berth is isolated by a bulkhead; it can only be accessed via a deck hatch. “At sea, no one goes there,” Patrick admitted. An observation the builder also made, as a passage was fitted in the bulkheads of the 35. With an original look, a robust structure, honest performance, convincing accommodation both at sea and at anchor – for two or three rather than six – and a reasonable price, the Edel Cat 33 is attractive. It’s just a shame it doesn’t handle lumpy seas very well!

The Pluses:

+ Robust structure
+ Exemplary for movement around the deck
+ Privacy of the hulls’ occupants
+ Attractive price

The Minuses: 

- Bridgedeck too low
- Not very manoeuvrable under engine 
- Not very lively in very light weather 
- Not a lot of stowage space

Technical specifications : 

Builder: Edel
Architect: Maurice Edel and Sylvestre Langevin
Hull length: 10.30 m
Beam: 6.03 m
Draft: 0.80 m
Unladen weight: 3,500 kg
Mainsail area: 37 m 
Genoa area: 23 m 
Production: 60 units from 1983 to 1987
Second-hand price: 25,000 to 35,000 euros