Posted by lance_ryley (lance_ryley@…>)
Hi Richard,
the Freedom 42 is the Freedom 45 without the sugarscoop. I looked at
the ads for that 42 as well - it looks like the finish is damaged in
the aft cabin starting on the starboard side and going around the
back toward the port side - maybe sun damage?
I think I remember reading somewhere that because of the lack of a
swim platform, the 42’s waterline is slightly shorter than the 45’s.
It also may impact the ease of getting aboard, especially on a
mooring. The 45 has a lovely landing deck. Overall, it looks like a
great boat, though.
Someone will address all of your questions, but I can help with a few
of them. Construction-wise, TPI built these with vinylester resins,
which are more resistant to blistering than polyester. I’ve looked at
the bottoms of two Freedom 45’s, and they looked as fair as the day
they came out of the factory.
The motion on the boat, I find, is very forgiving. I’m biased by my
Freedom 40 Cat Ketch, which I think has one of the best motions of
any boat I’ve been on, but I was pleased by how well behaved the 45
is in a seaway.
Reefing, unless it was changed by the owner, is single-line reefing
which means that - in theory - you shouldn’t have to leave the
comfort of the cockpit to reef down that big, big main. You also have
the benefit of an electric halyard winch, which believe me makes a
big difference. The 45 I was on had single-line for both reefs in the
main, so again - it should be pretty easy to reef.
My guess is that in truly light airs, she’ll need a little help, but
in my limited experience sailing one, it was apparent that she is a
boat that wants to sail, and once she’s moving, she stays moving.
In the standard 45’s (and so I assume in the 42’s as well), there
were a couple design flaws. The one that I think people fix first is
the two-part main hatch, which can be a source of frustration and
leaks. Paul Dennis has a refit for that.
Can’t speak to the teak decks, but I’m sure someone on the board can.
That 42 seems pretty well appointed, and it’s been on the market for
a while. It’s probably worth a look. you can come back and give us a
report 
Lance
Bright Star
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “Richard Solomon”
<rsolomon2@…> wrote:
I’ve just sold our Valiant 32 and am looking for the last boat.
We’re
interested in a F42 which looks very nice based on the Yachtworld
listing. Before traveling to see her, I sure would appreciate
hearing
from Freedom owners about:
- teak decks: are they screwed down or glued? If screwed down,
any
history of them leaking?
- How many F42s were made? I’m guessing not many because my
search
of your messages for “F42” or “Freedom 42” didn’t turn up any. Is
that a cause of concern? For example, there’s a terrific group of
Valiant owners for each size built who are readily available for
feedback, advice, and whatever; I’d sure want that for any boat
that
we buy.
- How do they sail, in terms of: light air, motion comfort in a
seaway, ease of reefing with that big main, pointing?
- Any construction or design problems particular to this boat,
such as blisters, hull-deck joint leaking, etc. It seems that most
have some “achilles heel”, and I figure this one must have its own
problems. But, OTOH, it may not!
Finally, I’m sold on the “technology” of the rig and the overall
design. Mull has done a great job; we chartered a F30 once, and
loved
it. So, this just might be the one…
Thanks, in advance, for any information you might have.
Cheers, Richard Solomon