FreedomYachts.org

Look in "Manuals & Documentation"; if there is nothing specific about the F44, or F40, the way the wishbones are rigged is the same for all the cat-rigged ketches, and the F33 (or F35 in UK) manuals will show how it's done, though the line lengths will not be appropriate. The mast harness to which t...

Rather than a Prussic around the mast, I use a webbing lifeline with two snap-hooks , wrapped twice round the mast. It's easy to move up and down, and will jamb as effectively with a sudden fall (forget to slide it whilst descending and it stops you completely). I fasten it to a standard harness, bu...

Your centreboard: it looks as though someone has already been at your CB bearing; it's very shiny! I had mine replaced about ten years ago, when the boat was 25 years old. The tube which forms the bearing was worn and rusty looking. There were a couple of nylon washers either side of the board, too ...

On our UK built F35 cat ketch, the masts have a collar above the deck on each. The bolts are actually studs, with dome nuts above and plain hex nuts below, which bear on the inner side of the deck with 2cm washers and spring washers. The only effective way to tighten them is to hold the above deck n...

Dracoplasm wrote: – " So I am interested in what you have done in the end." What we did is got the mechanic to overhaul the old engine and re-install it in the boat. There was a problem with the gearbox, and he has hopefully fixed that in 2019, but we haven't been back since. The engine ran well, on...

Is this the long keel hull, rather than the centreboard version? When chocking the C/B hull, I have noticed slight flexing inboard the turn of the bilge, less than 2cm, and have regarded this as normal or, at least, acceptable. The internal ballast is around the C/B casing, glassed into the hull and...

A most enjoyable story so far, Rafael! Are you going to overwinter in Torrevieja? We shall be visiting a little North of there (by car) in the spring, so would look you up if our visits coincide. I'd like to see the G10 rig for real! We know the area to the North of Alicanté quite well, if you need ...

Castaway has a Volvo shaft seal; the current one is about ten years old and doesn't leak at all. It's fastened to the shaft log with a stainless steel hose clip, and the other fits closely to the shaft, which must, of course, be smooth. It needs greasing every time the boat is launched, and also the...

Peter; interested to hear your experience. We have a Windpilot on Castaway, which works very well. The PO had pin attached so that he could remove the wind vane and connect a 'push-pull' Tillerpilot, getting the power of the servo rudder and the compass course of the Tillerpilot. I found it fiddly a...

Castaway, hope you don't make a habit of loosing your prop, could be expensive.

It's only happened twice! Both times in the same bit of Eastern Norway, though 7 years apart. We got to know the local boatyard quite well. I have dined out on whole sorry story.