Freedom 40/40 Rigging Questions

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rickdreschler
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Freedom 40/40 Rigging Questions

Post by rickdreschler »

Hello all,

My name is Rick Dreschler from Amsterdam and 2 years ago I bought together with 2 friends a 1995 Freedom 40/40 " Blue Moon". Lying in Ft Lauderdale we made some local trips along the Keys. It is a great boat and fastand beautiful to live on.

However last trip beating the high waves northbound in the Gulfstream,(which I don't recommend). The stainless steel anchorplate came loose! We had the Genuajib up when it was blowing 10 knots, when it increased till 16 kts we took it off but then we discovered that the forestay ripped the anchorplate out of his first 6 thrudeck bolts and only hanging bended on 2 backbolts.Did anyone have this happen also? It is getting fixed now with a steel point which will be more around the point for support.

Another question is we are thinking about putting a rollerjib in place. But the riggingcompany says it has no experience with an unstayed mast. Is there anybody who has one or knows a lot about it. Thanks in advance for the Information.

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: Freedom 40/40 Rigging Questions

Post by GeoffSchultz »

What hull number do you have and/or when was it built?

I've also got a 40/40, hull 25, and have over 40,000 miles on it. I can assure you that I've been in some pretty heavy weather and have never had any issues with the forestay ripping out. I suspect that this probably caused by the forestay tension being incorrectly set and you probably generated a whipping motion with the mast which in turn pulled the plate out. However, it's quite bad that it could do that.

Regarding a roller furling jib: I know that there are lots of Freedom 40/40s that have them, but I would think long and hard about doing that. One of the great things about a camber spar jib is running wing-on-wing. I love to do that and constantly pass boats with roller furlers that can't keep their jib out. I can almost assure you that as I'm passing the other boat, that the husband will run forward and try to figure out how to replicate our setup.

On the flip side, it's a royal pain and at times dangerous to go forward to get the jib down. You can also run with the jib partially deployed, which would be nice at times. But you've also got additional lines and probably track on the deck, which clutters a beautiful design.

The bottom line is that it's a boat and everything is a compromise.

-- Geoff
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

rickdreschler
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Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 5:18 am

Re: Freedom 40/40 Rigging Questions

Post by rickdreschler »

Thanks for the info,Geoff

We have hullnr 17 built 1995.

We are suspecting also the forestay pulling the achor plate out with the wipping motion of the masthead.
Or maybe the anchorplate was already sometimes, because we found quite a lot of poyesterbonding and filler
inbetween. But maybe that is normal.
Question: should the forestay then be set more loose or instead more thighter? Or even somekind of spring
inbetween?

Now we are in doubt about taking a rollerjib! Thanks to you ha,ha.

But what do you think of what the riggingcompany here in FLL tells us that they have no experience with a rollerjib on a unstayed mast, so it needs some kind of sidestay to support the extra forces???

Do you have an emailaddress or so of the company that used to make the Freedoms?

Thanks a lot

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: Freedom 40/40 Rigging Questions

Post by GeoffSchultz »

The forestay should be relatively loose. Do you have a copy of the owner's manual? It describes the proper setting in there.

No additional support is needed for a roller furler.

-- Geoff
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

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Hans
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Re: Freedom 40/40 Rigging Questions

Post by Hans »

Hello Rick,

I have some experience with a one mast Freedom rig.

On the 45ft ac I have the same tall rig as on your 40/40, I encountered wild 'mast movements' beating with he tide against the wind in the Gulf stream. My boat is equipped with running backstays and I decided that would be the moment to use them. I did'nt completely stop all masttop movement; in the end of the movement there was a 'jerking' stop.
The result after a couple of hours was a block ripped apart. Breaking load was only 1000 kilo, I took stronger Lewmar ones breaking strength 2200, they are still there but also damaged. I hardly use the running backstays at all, boat sails more relaxed with the mast allowed to 'standing and moving free'.

Moving free means also the forestay being enough loose allowing the mast to move. ( It actually helps also allowing the camberspar moving forward sailing closehauled, which flattens the jib.) On yards when putting boat to water after winterstorage and stepping masts, they do'nt know about this kind of rig and tend to give too little slack to the forestay resulting in 'jerky' movements. This could be the reason of your trouble.

Somewhere on this forum Michel posted info from the sailmaker Steve Haarstick about trimming Freedom sails. What I remember is that
the forestay should have a play of 6-7 inches.


Nice sailing,
Hans Hansen, Makkum,The Netherlands.
Freedom 45AC #47 "Scherezade".

rickdreschler
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Re: Freedom 40/40 Rigging Questions

Post by rickdreschler »

Thanks Geoff.
I have the original owners manual. I guess I should have studied that part a little better.

And thanks Hans for the advise. Thanks to this forum I get to meet a fellow Dutchman with
even 2 Freedom Yachts!

They almost finished fixing the anchorplate now. And we had it made stronger, they made the whole bowpoint of stainless steel. And now we will set the forestay a lot looser than it was to prevent the jerking.

I have another question: we have sometimes a little water at the base of the mast where the wires lying in. That water can not go anywhere and stays there. You have that too? And is there a way to let it flow to the bilge?

Greetings,
Rick

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GeoffSchultz
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Re: Freedom 40/40 Rigging Questions

Post by GeoffSchultz »

I have another question: we have sometimes a little water at the base of the mast where the wires lying in. That water can not go anywhere and stays there. You have that too? And is there a way to let it flow to the bilge?
There are weep hole(s) in the fiberglass box that surrounds the mast which are supposed to allow the water to drain. On mine they got clogged and I had to enlarge it to allow the water to drain.

-- Geoff
BlueJacket
1997 Freedom 40/40
http://www.GeoffSchultz.org

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