Designed by E.G. van de Stadt (1910 - 1999), founder of the world renowned firm of Van de Stadt Sheepswerf N.V,  of the Netherlands, the Seacracker 33 is also known as the Trintella IIa or the Tufglas 33. There were 12 hulls moulded as the Seacracker 33 and an unknown number as the Tufglas 33; the rest were Trintella's IIA's, for a total of 176 hulls produced overall. There is no difference whatsoever between a Seacracker and a Tufglas, other than the name! The difference between a  Seacracker and a Trintella IIA is that the Trintella has a wooden coach roof.

E.G. Van de Stadt is one of the great names of European yacht design. His Valk, Trial, Zeevalk, Stormvogel and Pionier put him in the forefront of yacht design time and time again; ask any Dutchman who is the most famous yacht designer ever, and EG Van de Stadt is sure to be his answer!

The name "Trintel" is derived from a sandbank off the Enkhuizen (IJsselmeer) coastline of the Netherlands. "Trintella" was based upon that name: Trintel's are made of steel, and Trintella of polyester. Why Van de Stadt ever chose to name a boat after a sandbank we shall never know.

General
The original moulds were owned by Tyler Boats (Kent, England) who produced a total of twelve Seacracker's.  These moulds were then sold to their Tufglas division although it is understood that few, if any, were then produced.  Production ceased when the moulds caught fire in 1978 at the Tyler factory in Kent. 

Tyler Boat Co. Limited
Edward (Eddie) Tyler bought Cooya, a topsail gaff yawl, just prior to the First World War. She was first registered as a British Ship, No 137336, on June 23, 1914. By 1946, he was a successful builder and had begun using fibreglass to make moulds for concrete panels for prefabricated houses. One thing lead to another and he decided this material would be excellent for waterproofing boat decks - especially as his Cooya was now aging somewhat. After proving his theory, Edward Tyler later founded the Tyler Boat Company, building the first ever fibreglass production yacht, Glass Slipper, again to a Van de Stadt design.

After 1978, Tyler Boats never re-started as boat builders. With their roots in construction they refocused on an industrial property management company called Tyler Holdings. Despite the long gap, and despite the fact that they have no connection with boats now, Michael Vanns of Tyler Holdings has have been very helpful in filling in some gaps about the history of our boats. 

They have a couple of old record books which show that a Seacracker was ordered by a Mr. Robinson in October 1973 and was assigned the production number S33/P12 - and their records show this as being the last of this type before the moulds were transferred to the Tufglas division in 1974. S33/P12 was delivered sometime in early 1974. (my thanks to Mr. Roger Saunders for this research). 

It is worth noting that Tyler Boats continued to sell moulds as "Seacracker's" even after the Tufglas division started.

History of the Design
The Seacracker 33 is similar in design to the Harmony and is precisely the same hull as the Trintella IIA. This is contray to some arguments but the fact is the Trintella IIA differs a bit from the IIB as the latter has a long keel with the rudder blade attached to the back end of the keel. Also, the IIb is shorter than the IIa (9.48 meters vs. 10.00 meters).

The story is that Van de Stadt first designed the Trintella II, but when it was built, they found out that it was a little bit rough on the rudder (too much weather helm). Therefore, in 1965, Van de Stadt shorted the keel, lengthened the back end of the boat and drew a rudder, with a small balancing part, on a skeg. This was the Trintella IIa and the Seacracker 33.  These designs were made during the change in the racing rules from the old RORC to the new IOR system, so Van de Stadt chose to play safe and designed a sea-kindly, fast hull with fin and skeg. The Harmony 32 was also built by Tyler Boats.

Cruiser/racer
The intent of Van de Stadt seemed to be to provide fine performance without sacrificing comfort.  All but one Seacracker has  fibreglass decks vs. teak cladding which minimizes weight aloft and also to help maintain watertight integrity. Hull integrity is further enhanced through the use of a deck stepped mast which is supported by a substantial compression post resting on the keel

The rudder is hung on a skeg. The LOA is 10.00m and the LWL is 7.32m.  The mast is deck stepped but supported on the keel via a below decks compression post.

Versatility & Comfort
With the draft at four feet eight inches, the Seacracker is suitable for sailing into less well frequented anchorages and yet the keel is heavy enough to make a kind motion in poorer conditions. The most remarkable motion is noticed when encountering a steep swell (such as in the Bristol Channel, UK) when the hull simply parts the wave and the crew stays comfortable. 

The forepeak provides ample accommodation for two (tall) crew in a 33' yacht, although the headroom does suffer somewhat from the anchor locker which drops down at the peak.  The salon has one double berth to port and a single berth to starboard.  An excellent Pilot berth aft of the navigation station is comfortable and well sheltered.

One of the more pleasant aspects of the Seacracker is her raised coach roof aft of the mast.  This offers 6' 2" standing headroom throughout the critical part of the interior and permitted installation two larger than average windows to give these boats a light and airy feel. 

The Seacracker 33 has a bullet-proof rig inspired by the IOR rule so, consequently, she derives most of her power from her Genoa. This can be a distinct advantage in heavy weather when sailing under jib alone she is able to maintain speed.
 
The large mast cross section carries a single pair of spreaders with no aft rake to them. The mast is stayed with fore and aft lower shrouds, and athwartships cap shrouds. In this fashion the baby stay so often found on modern cruiser-racers is eliminated, making spinnaker pole handling a much easier affair.