Freedom 35 sailboat purchase

[katorpus1]

Posted by katorpus (jrb@…>)

I’m with Fred on the MacLube…but I don’t lubricate the sail track
with it.

Each time I remove my sail covers, the first thing I do is liberally
spray the slides with MacLube from both sides while the sails are
still flaked on the boom.

As long as my blocks are all running free (and this is an IMPORTANT
point of resistance in the sail-raising effort)…including the
turning block at the top of the mast…I regularly am able to haul
both main & mizzen to within 3 or 4 feet of the masthead without
using a winch.

These are fully battened sails of right at 500 square feet each. I
never have weighed them, but it takes two people to carry one of them
after they are removed from the boat (for cleaning or repair).

If you’re not inclined to spend any more time aloft on the mast than
necessary, you can still clean and lube your sail track from the deck
level…

All it takes is a couple of extra sail slides, a piece of rag stuffed
in between them, lashed together, the halyard (to pull it up) and a
messenger line to pull it back down. I suggest that you tie the tail
of the messenger line to the halyard shackle (after securing it to
the bottom sail slide, so that you can get the halyard back down if
the whole thing “comes apart” while you’re cleaning…just work it
back and forth in the track, all the way up and back down again,
replacing the rag as needed, with whatever cleaner you choose
(straight vinegar works)…then repeat the process with a rag soaked
in MacLube…no need to ever leave the deck.

While you’re doing this, any “loose rivets” or bad joints in the sail
track will become apparent, and you can deal with these (requires
going aloft, however) rather than let them interfere with the sail
raising/lowering process.

I buy the MacLube in non-aerosol quarts. I’ve found that the stuff
works SO well that it lubricates the seals in the aerosol cans and
permits the propellant to escape at a faster rate than the product is
consumed…particularly if you let it sit around in a warm boat in
between uses…besides (unless you spill it) it’s cheaper per ounce
that way.


— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, <fredmolden@…> wrote:

I usually go up the mast once a year to wax the mast and clean and
lubricate
the slide with MacLube. I can pull the sail by hand past the lazy
jacks and
electric winch it the rest of the way.

[katorpus1]

Posted by katorpus (jrb@…>)

As a former instructor (and competition judge) in high-angle rescue
work (the guys who go GET the climbers who have “messed up”)…I
cringe every time I see someone going up the mast.

The first rule of climbing is that you NEVER climb any higher than
you would care to fall without a BACKUP line. It doesn’t matter what
you’re climbing.

Climbers take exquisitely good care of their lines…because their
lives depend on them.

Halyards sit around in the sun and salt air until they become
worrisome or unusable, sometimes not being replaced until they
actually fail.

If you have more than one halyard on the mast that you’re climbing,
then attach the second to the harness (that you SHOULD be wearing)
when going up in a bosun’s chair, and have a second “helper” belay
the slack out of this line (around a winch) as you ascend…that
way…if your main halyard fails, or the knot comes loose…or the
bosun’s chair fails, your fall will be arrested (proportionately to
the attentiveness of the second helper).

Properly managed, you won’t get into a situation where you’re hanging
upside down in a bosun’s chair, trying to get upright again while
trying (like hell) not to slip out of the thing entirely.

Most people lack the physical strength to GET themselves out
of this predicament, and it’s really embarrassing and uncomfortable to
have to be lowered back to deck level like this…not to mention that
you very well might take a couple of turns around the mast while
swinging around like this, making it difficult and painful to get back
down again.

You can accomplish the same thing without the second helper if you
have an “ascender” (available from climbing supply dealers, REI etc),
in which case you can simply rig it to your harness, tie off the
second halyard close to the mast (gooseneck, for instance) and slide
it up the second halyard as you ascend.

It takes some fiddling and slows your descent to go the other way
with this rig, but it will work.

If you know what you’re doing with the climbing gear, there are other
ways to ascend and descend solo without any helpers while retaining
the backup of the belay.

If you’re using a “top climber” or other type of rig where you are
getting up there on your own steam, don’t climb the halyard itself.

Instead,tie off the halyard shackle to a proper climbing rope
and “two-block” the whole thing to the masthead, tie off the halyard,
then ascend on the climbing rope.

You’re still relying on the halyard’s integrity, but you aren’t
wearing out the cover on the halyard and the “static” halyard is less
likely to fail than one which is “moving” over the blocks as you
ascend/descend.

None of this stuff is cheap (what is on a boat?) but long falls to
the deck aren’t cheap either.




— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, <fredmolden@…> wrote:

I have my wife on the winch, she checks my insurance policy first.

[Larry_Sanzenbacher]

Posted by Larry Sanzenbacher (ljsanz@…>)

Hi Paul,

Thank you very much for the information that you have
provided. It is really a great help. “Thumper” is
one of the boats that we have considered. The broker
says that she has been on the hard for 2 years and
that aside from the outside being dirty, she is in
good shape. I have asked him several questions that
would need to be answered by the owners. The broker
called me this past Monday and had not been able to
contact the owners. He said he would get back to me
as soon as he heard from them. I have not yet been
contacted, so something does seem amiss. I appreciate
your cautionary notations. Did you not look at
“Thumper” because of the comments from the New
Hampshire contact?

I am glad to hear that you are so happy with your F35.
I wonder if she misses the Neuse and the Pamlico
Sound! (: There was another local NC 1995 F35 named
Phoenix that I am sorry I did not buy. You may have
noted in one of my earlier posts that I loved the
limited amount of sailing I had on the F35.

Best regards,

Larry
— ptecca63 <paul.tecca@…> wrote:

Hi Larry,

I just bought a 1993 F35 this spring. I upgraded
from a 1985 Sabre
32 and one of the biggest differences I found was
the size of the
mainsail on the F35. It is a monster compared to
what I had. Even
with well lubed bat cars, raising the sail takes
considerably more
effort than the main on my Sabre. When I was
originally looking at
the F35s I noticed that many of them had a power
winch. I thought
then it was kind of over kill, but I don’t any
more…

Sailing the F35 is all about the mainsail. It is
the driving force
on the boat and it is a big sail. Reef early, or
you will find
yourself “behind the boat” in a hurry.

Overall I am extremely pleased with the F35. She is
quick and agile,
and has a nice layout with plenty of room above and
below decks. A
very nice cruising boat. The fit and finish of the
boat seems above
average. Almost as good as a Sabre ;).

One thing to watch out for on the F35s are leaky
port lights. It is
a well known problem with the F35 and you’ll want to
know if the
problem has been properly fixed. Also, I saw in
your last post that
you are considering an F35 in Annapolis. If the
name of the boat
is “Thumper”, take care. I spoke with someone who
travelled from New
Hampshire to look at her. He said the boat was a
dissappointment and
had some significant issues. I don’t recall the
details. Probe the
broker to find out what the deal is before investing
in a trip to see
her. That boat has been on the market for a long
time.

I read that you sail in NC on Pamlico Sound and the
Neuse River. The
F35 I bought was from your area. Her home used to
be in
Whortonsville, NC. On Broad Creek off the Neuse
River. Pamlico Sound
and the Neuse are her old stomping grounds. I’m
glad I found her
before you did!

Regards,

Paul
Midnight Star
'93 F35 #8

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[Larry_Sanzenbacher]

Posted by Larry Sanzenbacher (ljsanz@…>)

Hi Paul,

I forgot to ask you in my last post if there are
significant differences in the F35 from 1993 forward
to the time the last one was built.

Best regards,

Larry
— ptecca63 <paul.tecca@…> wrote:

Hi Larry,

I just bought a 1993 F35 this spring. I upgraded
from a 1985 Sabre
32 and one of the biggest differences I found was
the size of the
mainsail on the F35. It is a monster compared to
what I had. Even
with well lubed bat cars, raising the sail takes
considerably more
effort than the main on my Sabre. When I was
originally looking at
the F35s I noticed that many of them had a power
winch. I thought
then it was kind of over kill, but I don’t any
more…

Sailing the F35 is all about the mainsail. It is
the driving force
on the boat and it is a big sail. Reef early, or
you will find
yourself “behind the boat” in a hurry.

Overall I am extremely pleased with the F35. She is
quick and agile,
and has a nice layout with plenty of room above and
below decks. A
very nice cruising boat. The fit and finish of the
boat seems above
average. Almost as good as a Sabre ;).

One thing to watch out for on the F35s are leaky
port lights. It is
a well known problem with the F35 and you’ll want to
know if the
problem has been properly fixed. Also, I saw in
your last post that
you are considering an F35 in Annapolis. If the
name of the boat
is “Thumper”, take care. I spoke with someone who
travelled from New
Hampshire to look at her. He said the boat was a
dissappointment and
had some significant issues. I don’t recall the
details. Probe the
broker to find out what the deal is before investing
in a trip to see
her. That boat has been on the market for a long
time.

I read that you sail in NC on Pamlico Sound and the
Neuse River. The
F35 I bought was from your area. Her home used to
be in
Whortonsville, NC. On Broad Creek off the Neuse
River. Pamlico Sound
and the Neuse are her old stomping grounds. I’m
glad I found her
before you did!

Regards,

Paul
Midnight Star
'93 F35 #8

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[ptecca63]

Posted by ptecca63 (paul.tecca@…>)

Larry,

But I looked at a '93, '94, '95, '96, and a '99 model. There were
no major differences between them. But a number of little changes
here and there. Such as:

Starting in '95 the instruments in the cockpit were sunk into the
bulkhead so that their face is flush with the bulkhead. They don’t
stick out into the cockpit any more.

Starting in '95 there are cabinets over the starboard settee. Prior
to that, in '93 and '94 there was no cabinet over the starboard
settee. Which is a shameful waste of space in my opinion.

I’m not sure if it was an option or a factory install, but all of
the models from '95 and above had the stainless steel dorades on the
cabintop. The '93s and '94s did not, unless they were put in custom
(as was done on my boat).

Sometime around '95/'96 they made some changes in the shower. All
of the models I saw of this vintage did not have the nice plexiglass
shower door, just a plastic shower curtain. Some also did not have
the plexiglass bulkhead that separated the shower from the sink.
And they did away with the nice teak grate on the shower floor and
replaced it with plain fiberglass. Must have been cost cutting or
something…

Around '99 they moved the battery switch location to under the nav
station. Prior to that it was over the starboard settee forward of
the electrical panel.

In the '99 model I saw they had redesigned the anchor locker and had
a nice protected place for the windlass. Prior to that the windless
was somewhat exposed and all the ones I saw had significant
corrosion.

These are the differences I noticed in the models that I saw.

Paul

[ptecca63]

Posted by ptecca63 (paul.tecca@…>)

Hi Larry,

The information on Thumper from the guy in NH who saw her did factor
into my decision not to go and see her. That, plus the fact that I
preferred the deep draft F35s over the ones with the wing keel.

I wish I could remember the specifics about what the issues were
with Thumper. I hate to say negative things about something without
some facts to back it up. The only thing I can recall is something
about the boat having a terrible odor down below as if the holding
tank had leaked and was never fixed and cleaned up properly.
However, as bad as that may be, I don’t see how that alone could
keep the boat from being sold for two years. There must be
something else.

But who knows, it could be a great deal. $119K is pretty short
money for a '99 F35…

Paul
F35 #8 Midnight Star

[svbagatelle1]

Posted by svbagatelle (pmasson@…>)

I looked at Thumper in October last year, when I went to the
Annapolis Boat Show. The boat had a number of things that needed
attention, and also did not have batteries installed so you could not
check out electrical equipment. Overall, she had the look of being
abandoned, and I wondered if there were more serious problems. What I
didn’t like was that the lines, canvas, and sails probably needed
replacing, and there was some play in the radar mast–fixing probably
would require substantial fiberglass work. If we had decided on an
F35, I might have taken a chance on her and gone to survey, hoping to
find out if there were major problems.
Paul
Freedom 30/32 “Bagatelle”

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “ptecca63”
<paul.tecca@…> wrote:

Hi Larry,

The information on Thumper from the guy in NH who saw her did
factor
into my decision not to go and see her. That, plus the fact that I
preferred the deep draft F35s over the ones with the wing keel.

I wish I could remember the specifics about what the issues were
with Thumper. I hate to say negative things about something
without
some facts to back it up. The only thing I can recall is something
about the boat having a terrible odor down below as if the holding
tank had leaked and was never fixed and cleaned up properly.
However, as bad as that may be, I don’t see how that alone could
keep the boat from being sold for two years. There must be
something else.

But who knows, it could be a great deal. $119K is pretty short
money for a '99 F35…

Paul
F35 #8 Midnight Star

[Herman_Schiller]

Posted by Herman Schiller (hschiller2@…>)

You have to think about it this way: You only have to crank that
mainsail up once, whereas you have to frequently crank in the genoa
sail on a boat with a relatively small mainsail. It could be worse! I
chartered a Nonsuch 33 without an electric halyard winch. OY!! Herm

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “ptecca63”
<paul.tecca@…> wrote:

Hi Larry,

I just bought a 1993 F35 this spring. I upgraded from a 1985 Sabre
32 and one of the biggest differences I found was the size of the
mainsail on the F35. It is a monster compared to what I had. Even
with well lubed bat cars, raising the sail takes considerably more
effort than the main on my Sabre. When I was originally looking at
the F35s I noticed that many of them had a power winch. I thought
then it was kind of over kill, but I don’t any more…

Sailing the F35 is all about the mainsail. It is the driving force
on the boat and it is a big sail. Reef early, or you will find
yourself “behind the boat” in a hurry.

Overall I am extremely pleased with the F35. She is quick and
agile,
and has a nice layout with plenty of room above and below decks. A
very nice cruising boat. The fit and finish of the boat seems
above
average. Almost as good as a Sabre ;).

One thing to watch out for on the F35s are leaky port lights. It
is
a well known problem with the F35 and you’ll want to know if the
problem has been properly fixed. Also, I saw in your last post
that
you are considering an F35 in Annapolis. If the name of the boat
is “Thumper”, take care. I spoke with someone who travelled from
New
Hampshire to look at her. He said the boat was a dissappointment
and
had some significant issues. I don’t recall the details. Probe
the
broker to find out what the deal is before investing in a trip to
see
her. That boat has been on the market for a long time.

I read that you sail in NC on Pamlico Sound and the Neuse River.
The
F35 I bought was from your area. Her home used to be in
Whortonsville, NC. On Broad Creek off the Neuse River. Pamlico
Sound
and the Neuse are her old stomping grounds. I’m glad I found her
before you did!

Regards,

Paul
Midnight Star
'93 F35 #8

[Larry_Sanzenbacher]

Posted by Larry Sanzenbacher (ljsanz@…>)

Thanks very much for the very helpful information. I
apologize for the delay in expressing my gratitude. I
plan to pass on Thumper and am still considering other
nice possibilities.

Larry
— svbagatelle <pmasson@…> wrote:

I looked at Thumper in October last year, when I
went to the
Annapolis Boat Show. The boat had a number of
things that needed
attention, and also did not have batteries installed
so you could not
check out electrical equipment. Overall, she had the
look of being
abandoned, and I wondered if there were more serious
problems. What I
didn’t like was that the lines, canvas, and sails
probably needed
replacing, and there was some play in the radar
mast–fixing probably
would require substantial fiberglass work. If we
had decided on an
F35, I might have taken a chance on her and gone to
survey, hoping to
find out if there were major problems.
Paul
Freedom 30/32 “Bagatelle”

— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com,
“ptecca63”
<paul.tecca@…> wrote:

Hi Larry,

The information on Thumper from the guy in NH who
saw her did
factor
into my decision not to go and see her. That,
plus the fact that I
preferred the deep draft F35s over the ones with
the wing keel.

I wish I could remember the specifics about what
the issues were
with Thumper. I hate to say negative things about
something
without
some facts to back it up. The only thing I can
recall is something
about the boat having a terrible odor down below
as if the holding
tank had leaked and was never fixed and cleaned up
properly.
However, as bad as that may be, I don’t see how
that alone could
keep the boat from being sold for two years.
There must be
something else.

But who knows, it could be a great deal. $119K is
pretty short
money for a '99 F35…

Paul
F35 #8 Midnight Star

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[Fabulass]

Hi Sam,

I saw your post from July 2007. I have a '94 Freedom 35 (Fabulass) and keep her off the Potomac River in Virginia. i saw where you had a sagging headliner. my fabric looks good also. Did you get to re-attach? Curious on your experience and what glue or adhesive and prep you performed.