Conch 33, the Key West Guide Boat Built Bigger

Conch boats for sale, and why the 33 gets the calls

Conch boats for sale do not come up often, and when a 33 appears serious offshore anglers pay attention. The Conch name carries real weight in the Florida Keys because the original Conch 27 was designed with Key West fishing guides, and the 33 was built to give that same no-nonsense formula more room, more fuel and more engines. The builder describes it simply as a boat for the serious offshore angler and the ultimate fisherman.

This is not a family day boat with a fishing option. It is a tournament and charter tool with three livewells, a huge fuel load and a cockpit laid out for people who fish for a living or fish like they do. Buyers who want a cabin, a big head and lounges should look elsewhere; buyers who want to run 60 miles offshore with a crew and a full well of bait should keep reading.

From Edey and Duff to R&R Boatworks

The story starts in Massachusetts. According to Conch's own history, roughly 30 years ago the Mattapoisett sailboat builder Edey and Duff brought together a group of professional Key West fishing guides and a naval architect to design the ultimate offshore outboard fishing boat. The brief called for great seakeeping, stability at rest, ample livewell and fish box capacity, and a structure strong enough to survive constant commercial use. The result was the Conch 27, introduced in the late 1980s.

Salt Water Sportsman later tested a diesel inboard version of the 27, owned by Key West Capt. John Stark, and noted that Key West guides helped design the boat and that serious anglers had long admired the layout. R&R Boatworks, owners of their own Conch 27, acquired the assets of Edey and Duff in 2005 and began designing a larger version. Less than a year later the Conch 33 made its debut. R&R also retooled the 27 molds with new hatches, consoles, decks, leaning posts and hardtops, added the Conch 30 in 2015, the 25 bay boat in 2021 and the Conch 18 and Conch 41 in 2022.

Dimensions, hull and construction

Conch lists the 33 at 33 feet without its bracket and 35 feet 6 inches with it, a 9-foot 10-inch beam, about 6,500 pounds, 35 gallons of water and 425 gallons of fuel, with twin or triple outboards up to 1,350 hp. An archived 2016 version of the company site added a 22.5-degree deadrise at the transom and described construction as 100 percent composite and vacuum-bagged with no wood, a high-density double-ply transom with extra-heavy lamination, and aluminum saddle fuel tanks.

That 2016 page listed fuel as 300 to 600 gallons depending on configuration, with 300 gallons in saddle tanks as standard, while the current site quotes 425 gallons. Treat tankage as a build-specific number and confirm it on any used boat. Through-hulls below the waterline were bronze with shutoff valves, and stainless above, which is the kind of detail that matters on a boat expected to work hard for decades.

Three livewells and a seachest

If one feature defines the 33, it is bait capacity. Current standard equipment includes two in-deck 85-gallon livewells forward plus a 45-gallon transom livewell with plumbing, fed by a Conch seachest. The 2016 spec sheet offered either a single 180-gallon or twin 85-gallon forward wells, a 125-gallon aft in-deck livewell, the 45-gallon transom well and 900 to 1,500 quarts of insulated fish box and storage space.

For kite fishing for sailfish, slow-trolling live bait for kingfish or carrying a day's worth of pilchards to the wrecks, that capacity is extraordinary for a 33-footer. The rest of the deck is equally businesslike: 10 console rod holders, five stainless pop-up cleats, an anchor locker with built-in chute, Lenco trim tabs, a custom fiberglass leaning post, four marine batteries, push-button switching on a custom dash and saltwater and freshwater washdowns. A custom hardtop with three Lumitec spreader lights is standard.

• Two 85-gallon in-deck forward livewells
• 45-gallon transom livewell with seachest supply
• Ten console rod holders and five pop-up cleats
• Custom hardtop with Lumitec spreader lights
• Saltwater and freshwater washdowns

Twin or triple power

Conch rates the 33 for twin or triple outboards up to 1,350 hp, and the 2016 site described power options as twin or triple V6 outboards. An archived Conch classified listed a 2015 Conch 33 with Suzuki 300s, so owners have not been tied to a single engine brand. We could not find a published speed and fuel curve from Conch or an independent magazine test, so we do not quote speeds here.

Practically, twins suit owners who prioritize economy and simpler maintenance, while triples add top-end speed, bigger loads and a get-home margin offshore. On a narrow hull with 425 gallons of fuel, range on twins should be excellent, but confirm real numbers with a sea trial and an engine data display.

Who owns a Conch 33

The typical owner is a tournament angler, a Keys or Treasure Coast charter captain, or a private owner who fishes like one. The boat's appeal is functional rather than flashy, and that shapes resale: buyers know the brand, and good boats tend to sell to people who have fished on one.

Expect annual costs, excluding depreciation, of roughly $15,000 to $35,000 for a slip or dry stack, insurance, twin or triple outboard service, bottom work and fuel. The large fuel capacity is a blessing on long runs, but filling it is a four-figure bill.

Buying a used Conch 33

Because R&R built the 33 continuously from about 2006 and kept upgrading materials and fittings, later boats generally have better hardware, hardtops and switching. Earlier boats can still be excellent if they were maintained, but check the bracket, transom and saddle tanks carefully.

Our estimated used range runs from about $85,000 for early boats needing updates to about $280,000 for recent triple-engine examples. The factory is still in Stuart, Florida, which is a real advantage for parts and advice, and the company offers demo rides and factory tours by appointment.