Posted by jpp123456 (jpp123456@…>)
In my search to buy a Freedom 32 I notice that there are two drafts:
a 4ft 11ins shoal draft or a 6ft fin.
“Practical Sailor” magazine has published a review (May 1 2000) of
the F32 and their only real negative seems to be in the area of
stability, let me quote:
“…the boat’s generous beam gives it good initial stability, but
detracts from its ultimate stability, that is, the boat’s ability to
right itself from a knockdown or rollover. No 32s are listed in US
Sailing’s “Performance Characteristic Profile of the North American
IMS Fleet,” but two other Freedoms are - a 35 with a length of
positive stability of 110.1 and a 44 centerboard at 107.7, both
under the 120 recommended minimum for offshore work. Nevertheless we
know of a number of 32s that have made safe and successful ocean
passages, including transatlantic, so there is always more to a good
boat than the right numbers.”
Would I be right in thinking that this stability issue, such as it
is, is more a function of beam as the article suggests and not
really that much related to keel depth?
I’d be most grateful for any opinions about choosing keel depth in
just the context of stability.
Thank you all.