Posted by sailsafeoranchor (sailsafeoranchor@…>)
Hi. I’m a brand new member. The sailsafeoranchor handle was probably
my thirtyfirst try, but at least it took - everything else was
rejected like sail4Fun or 15 versions of my real name which is Pete
Weis.
Anyway, my wife and myself are taking a somewhat early retirement and
selling the house. We’re getting ready to buy a boat and liveaboard.
We’re taking the advice of the Pardy’s - “do it as long as it’s fun”.
I’ve owned a number of sailboats during my life including a Contessa
26 with which I sailed the New England coast. I met my wife during
the last year or two of sailing during weekends off the coast of
Maine. We moved out to the Seattle area where I took a new job and we
eventually bought a Catalina 30, which we sailed on Puget Sound.
We intend to do the Maine to Caribbean migration thing so this kind
of defines the kind of liveaboard boat we would want - seaworthy,
liveaboard room, good performance for a cruiser, good quality,
shallow draft and a mast height to get under some of the ICW fixed
bridges.
We have considered Calibers and Island packets - these meet all the
requirements but perhaps come up a little short on sailing
performance to windward and liveaboard room.
The Freedom 45 seems to really appeal to my wife since it is an
attractive looking boat and has a great deal of below decks space and
she has a 2 head requirement. I might be the skipper but she’s the
ADMIRAL. With a PHRF of 99 (New England base rating) she should
outsail the Island Packet and Caliber which is something that appeals
to me. I also suspect the Freedom 45’s bottom design makes it more
maneuverable under power than the Island Packet 40 or the Caliber 40.
Certainly the rig design makes it an easier boat to sail short handed.
What I’m concerned about is the carbon fiber mast and lightening
strikes on the East Coast. I’ve heard that a lightening hit on a
carbon fiber mast often weakens it to the point of having to have it
replaced.
Do members of this board have any experience/knowledge of this
problem and is it an overblown worry? Also what does it cost to get a
mast replacement for a Freedom 45, even if a lightening strike is
rather remote? I watched a bolt of lightning strike the mast of a
nearby boat while anchored in Gosport Harbor, Isles of Shoals, some
years ago - imagine it fried some of his electronics if they were
still connected.
Also, what is the material the tankage is made of on early 90’s
Freedom 45’s (aluminum?) and how accessible are the tanks if they
need replacement?
Am I right about the relatively easy maneuverability under power of
an F45 (especially with a max prop installed)?
Thanks for any response.
Pete Weis