Posted by videlog (delvin@…>)
Hi! I’m looking at buying a Freedom 36. It’s expensive and I’m
wondering if it’s worth the money. I want to cruise extensively,
perhaps circumnavigate.
Anyone out there with some advice or experience with this boat?
Thanks for your feedback
Vincent
Posted by Harvey Minsk (harveyminsk@…>)
I have a Freedom 38 and will be glad to discuss the
boat with you.
Harvey
— videlog <delvin@…> wrote:
Hi! I’m looking at buying a Freedom 36. It’s
expensive and I’m
wondering if it’s worth the money. I want to cruise
extensively,
perhaps circumnavigate.Anyone out there with some advice or experience with
this boat?Thanks for your feedback
Vincent
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Posted by jerry_magic1 (jerry_magic1@…>)
– “videlog” wrote:
Hi! I’m looking at buying a Freedom 36. It’s expensive and I’m
wondering if it’s worth the money. I want to cruise extensively,
perhaps circumnavigate.
You came to the right place. There are lots of us here with 36s and
38s, but of course we’ll be a little biased 
Mine is a '87
model 36 that I’ve cruised a good bit.
Why don’t you post your questions and you’ll get plenty of responses.
You might start by telling us a little about how the boat you are
considering is equiped – or do you not have a specific one in mind
as yet?
‘Expensive’ is a relative term, but you’ll be getting a solid, well
built boat with more internal living space than many >40 footers
I’ve seen.
Posted by videlog (delvin@…>)
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “jerry_magic1”
<jerry_magic1@y…> wrote:
– “videlog” wrote:
Hi! I’m looking at buying a Freedom 36. It’s expensive and I’m
wondering if it’s worth the money. I want to cruise extensively,
perhaps circumnavigate.You came to the right place. There are lots of us here with 36s
and
38s, but of course we’ll be a little biased
model 36 that I’ve cruised a good bit.
Why don’t you post your questions and you’ll get plenty of
responses.
You might start by telling us a little about how the boat you are
considering is equiped – or do you not have a specific one in
mind
as yet?
‘Expensive’ is a relative term, but you’ll be getting a solid,
well
built boat with more internal living space than many >40 footers
I’ve seen.
Ok, well I’m looking at a 1987 F36 here in Alameda, CA which is in
very nice shape. New paint 1997, new mainsail 2003, 1100 hrs on 27
hp Yanmar diesel, full electronics incl autohelm, davits, hard
bottom dinghy with good outboard. They added a small fuel tank
placed such that no air gets in the lines plus an extra small water
tank. There is no spinnaker pole or spin. It looked really good.
It’s been to Mexico and Hawaii. Now I have to know what to look for
and what to ask and then negociate a price. It’s for sale by owner.
So, if you could tell me any weakness, problem, annoyances you’ve
experienced. Would this be a good choice for south Pacific cruising?
Thanks and bye for now.
Posted by jerry_magic1 (jerry_magic1@…>)
“videlog” wrote:
Ok, well I’m looking at a 1987 F36 here in Alameda, CA which is in
very nice shape. New paint 1997, new mainsail 2003, 1100 hrs on 27
hp Yanmar diesel, full electronics incl autohelm, davits, hard
bottom dinghy with good outboard. They added a small fuel tank
placed such that no air gets in the lines plus an extra small
water
tank. There is no spinnaker pole or spin. It looked really good.
It’s been to Mexico and Hawaii. Now I have to know what to look
for
and what to ask and then negociate a price. It’s for sale by owner.So, if you could tell me any weakness, problem, annoyances you’ve
experienced. Would this be a good choice for south Pacific
cruising?
Sounds a lot like my boat. I’ll assume you are an experienced sailor
and give you some comments off the top of my head in no particular
priority sequence – mostly on the negative side, but understand
that I wouldn’t trade Magic for any other boat. If I did trade up
or down, it would be for another Freedom.
\ These boats have cored hulls. Be sure the surveyor checks for
moisture infiltration, especially at the hardware penetrations –
seacocks, cleat attachments, etc., and more especially where prior
owners have installed add ons.
\ The anchor platform, rails and roller are pretty wimpy. Never
anchor out in any kind of wind or current without a snubber line. I
speak from bad experience
\ Several owners (including me) noise and slippage of the bottom of
the mast against the mast step while under sail. There are fixes
for this - check with the owner.
\ The added tankage is a plus. The original specs for the boat
indicate fuel: 35 gallons; water: 65 gallons; holding tank: 12
gallons. I measured mine. The reality is: fuel: 28 gallons; water:
61 gallons.
\ I’ve always thought the 27 hp motor was a little underpowered for
the boat. I hate the idiot lights for temperature and oil pressure.
I installed analog guages and an engine hour meter.
\ I found a 3 blade prop gave me a little more manouvering control.
\ Check out the prop shaft gland. Original equipment was a Syntron
Seal. Some have reported problems with this unit and have gone to
other dripless types. Prior owner of my boat installed a standard
stuffing box, but I wouldn’t recommend this – not enough room to
repack it when necessary, otherwise it is OK.
\ My boat is the shoal draft version. Great for the Bahamas. For
the So Pacific I’d prefer the deep draft version.
\ The main sail is very large and very heavy. Many reports of
difficulty raising and dousing the main. An electric winch helps
me. I also installed a Strong Sail Track system which was an
improvement over the BattCar system that was on the boat when I
bought it. When dousing, the back part of the batten (usually the
3rd one from the bottom) would strike the boom and jam the front
part into the mast before it was half way down, thus keeping the
rest of the sail above it from dropping properly. Very serious on a
windy day operating singlehanded.
\ The original 2 leg lazyjack system did not work too well when
dousing. The back half of the sail spilled onto the deck. Also on
raising the main, the battens often got caught in the lazyjack
line. I revised mine to a 3 leg configuration that I can dress
forward out of the way when raising the sail.
\ Three major safety items for a cruising boat (after GPS) are:
radar, SSB, life raft.
\ There is more room to work with an electric windlass on the
foredeck if you rig the tack of the jib with a snap latch and pull
the jib up out of the way with the jib halyard.
\ Carry spare lamps and replace the red/green running light
fixture. It is made by Lucas. You’ve heard of Lucas ‘The Prince of
Darkness’ Also you’ve heard why the Brits drink warm beer – Lucas
makes the refrigerators. My running light fixture (not the bulb)
failed about 1 AM while sailing in the channel north of Cuba.
\ Check the wheel steering cable in the binacle. Mine failed while
negotiating the locks in New Orleans. It is made by Edson.
\ Original electronic equipment for wind, depth, water speed is
made by Datamarine. This company is out of business. Replacement
parts between difficult and impossible to get – although service is
available – at least as of last June. I’ll be replacing my systems
with Raymarine units.
\ The headliners on these boats tend to sag badly as the foam and
glue backing of the original material fails. I’ve installed
additional battens to hold up the sags. Actually it looks pretty
good this way.
\ I sail with no spinaker of any kind. Others have the gunmount
rig which takes a lot of extra running rigging - too much for me.
Others have gone with an asymetrical - but not a mast head on these
carbon fiber masts.
I’ve tried to portray some of the dark side. The good side
outweighs all this.
Jerry
Posted by videlog (delvin@…>)
I’m not familiar with the 38. Is it similar to the 36 or more like
the old F40?
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, Harvey Minsk
<harveyminsk@y…> wrote:
I have a Freedom 38 and will be glad to discuss the
boat with you.Harvey— videlog <delvin@c…> wrote:
Hi! I’m looking at buying a Freedom 36. It’s
expensive and I’m
wondering if it’s worth the money. I want to cruise
extensively,
perhaps circumnavigate.Anyone out there with some advice or experience with
this boat?Thanks for your feedback
Vincent
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Posted by Harvey Minsk (harveyminsk@…>)
The Freedom 38 is nothing more than the 36 with a
sugar scoop transom added to the hull. Every thing
else is exactly the same…
— videlog <delvin@…> wrote:
I’m not familiar with the 38. Is it similar to the
36 or more like
the old F40?— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, Harvey
Minsk
<harveyminsk@y…> wrote:I have a Freedom 38 and will be glad to discuss
the
boat with you.Harvey— videlog <delvin@c…> wrote:
Hi! I’m looking at buying a Freedom 36. It’s
expensive and I’m
wondering if it’s worth the money. I want to
cruise
extensively,
perhaps circumnavigate.Anyone out there with some advice or experience
with
this boat?Thanks for your feedback
Vincent
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