Greetings, I’m a new member to the board and I am searching for some answers.
I’m considering buying a freedom 21 with a deep keel.
The owner has sent me some pictures and I can see there is some cracking along the keel where it seems that it hit something because it’s also chipped at the front.
I would like to get your opinion as to the severity of the damage, there’s also a noticeable rust leak on one side of the keel. All the research I have done tells me that the ballast was lead, is that rust just related to a small lead contamination? Is it something that could compromise the structure of the keel?
The boat has been sitting on a trailer, I am concerned that the only point of support is in the back of the boat, and its keel.
I don’t know how long it’s been in that position but apparently somebody removed the front support arms of the trailer.
I thank you in advance for your input and look forward to learning from this forum.
Cheers.
I have the same boat same keel. I acquired it five years ago after sitting for 12 years outside subject to Midwest winters. It had significant delaminating of the fiberglass sheathing on the lead keel. Keel bolts and keel sump looked fine. Water had gotten between the glass and lead and froze creating delamination. Don’t recall any rust. I had a good fiberglass guy dig it all out and lay in new glass sealing it up. It was a few hundred bucks but my guys hourly is only $90 per hour. It’s been fine ever since. Later I hit a rock pretty hard, dinged up the front of the keel on the bottom corner a bit but no other damage. Don’t know if this is helpful. I wouldn’t over think it, I’d just get a good price with the damage and fix it. Why, these are incredible little boats. Hard to find. They sail like gang busters. We’ve owned ten sailboats from 15-46 feet. It’s our favorite for the pure joy of sailing it. If you have concerns have a good surveyor look at it.
Thank you very much Lionel 7, that’s what I thought. I’m pretty sure the fiberglass on the keel is very thin for the same reason that it gets hit pretty hard sometimes and the repair has to be easy.
I’m going to go check it tomorrow and see if there’s any other problems.
If everything else is good, I’ll buy it and this will be my first sailboat!
Thanks for the input and the recommendation.
One last thing, is it true that the mast only weighs 60lbs.?
So lifting it and setting it is really a one person job as described in the original instructions!
Depends if you have the hinged mast step. If it has that yes one person can do it better if you have two for safety of the mast and stability. The hinged mast is ingenious.
I’m almost 100% that it has the hinged mast system. I just have to see it with my own eyes I know the mast is off the boat right now and I have seen the bottom of it and it has a hole that goes through so I believe that would be for a security pin it also appears to have and aluminum inner sleeve.
