Buying a Freedom 39 Express

General Discussion
1

Dear everybody,

I am in the process of buying a Freedom 39 Express as a live aboard in Gibraltar. It has been used as a live aboard only for 5-6 years but i want to get it sailing ready. So I have a few questions before making the final decisions. Hope you guys could help.

  1. 1 have read about the problems with the mast. Is this a real problem and should i stay away? The vendor have lived there for 5 years (no sailing) and dont have a clue about the conditions. What should i look for and is there a easy fix?

  2. I would like to do some sailing with it after i am done fixing it up. As a Mediterranean cruiser i guess its more than good enough. But would any of you be comfortable crossing the Atlantic with it?

  3. How fast should it be with good sails? I see a lot of conflicting info regarding speed on these boats.

  4. The vendor wants 30k £ for it. The interior is in good condition but the hull and i also guess the sails new refreshing. Engine is the original Perkins 4801 with 2000h on it. Is this a price you think i could get back if the boat is in good sailing conditions?

Thanks in advance. And hope for some helpful answers :slight_smile:

Best regards

Egil

2

No takers?

3

Hello Egll,

I own Ketch 22, Freedom Express hull # 22.

Regarding off-shore capability, check out


http://www.ketch-22.com/Ketch22.html


for details of the capability of ocean voyaging; both Atlantic and Pacific.


Let me know if you have any specific questions.

Tom
Ketch 22

4

Hi,

Thanks for that, i have been looking at your blog before. Not flushed with photos but some good info and some nice images :slight_smile:

I will mainly use the boat as a live-aboard and easy sailing in the Med. Gibraltar, Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, Greece, etc. My bet she is more than capable of that. My main concern is the mast. I have read up and down regarding these carbon masts breaking high and low. Should i be very concerned about this? The previous owner have never sailed it and its been laying still for 5-6 years. He has no clue about the condition of the mast.

Any feedback regards this would be of Hugh relief :slight_smile:

5

I wouldn’t worry about the Masts. I’ve owned 2 Freedoms (21 and 33) and sailed them in most conditions, never had a mast problem. All of my masts have or had horizontal spider cracks that I’ve never worried about, from my understanding they are just cosmetic. If they were structural I would most likely have lost my masts sailing from Oxnard to San Francisco in sustained winds of 25+ knts under full sail on my 33 CK (I don’t start to reef until it blows over 30). I will never buy a sailboat with stayed Masts, there is a lot more maintenance and a lot more things that can fail with stayed masts. Good Luck.

6

Thanks for the peace of mind :slight_smile: Its been a worry. I cant imagen these masts goes for cheap if anything should happen. 25 knots wind is pretty much a breeze here where i live. So i guess if someone will find out what these masts are made of its a guy living in the Gibraltar Strait.

7

Of more concern is the balsa core hull. They were well made so could be in good condition, however the Express was made over 30 years ago (starting in the early '80s), so if there has been water ingress there could be a major and expensive amount of work needed done on it. A haul out and survey is really a must to find out the condition. The balsa cored topsides could also need work around the fittings but that is relatively easy to check out by hammering with the handle of a large screwdriver. You will hear a different thudding sound if there is water in the balsa.

8

Thanks Robinho,

Yes, it has been laying in the water for 4-5 years without a haul and checking the balsa core is my number 1 task.

We are getting a boat surveyor to go through everything with us. It is needed down here to get a fair price for the insurance.