Posted by nathansteve (Nathansteve@…>)
We are interested in possibly buying a Feedom 45. We would love to
connect with other 45 owners to learn about their experiences with this
boat. ALso any susggestions on finding one for sale would also be
helpfull.
Posted by Payne, Doug (doug.payne@…>)
I have looked at several. There are five
or six for sale now listed in yachtworld.com in Southern California, Florida and on the east
coast. Several look quite nice and well equipped. One of them at Marina Del Ray
has been extensively updated and its price reflects all that upgrading. Having
been aboard a couple, I can tell you they are huge in hull volume and interior
space for a 42 foot boat (plus three foot sugar scoop). These are on my short
list of just a couple boat makes and models for my next boat.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Douglas M. Payne
Managing Partner - Dallas Ft. Worth
Tatum, LLC
5956 Sherry Lane
Suite 1000 PMB 101
Dallas, TX
75225
office ••• 972.200.1555
mobile ••• 972.953.8065
fax ••• 972.200.1349
doug.payne@…
www.tatumllc.com
From: FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of nathansteve
Sent: Monday, June 18, 2007 12:51
PM
To:
FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [FreedomOwnersGroup]
Freedom 45
We are interested in possibly buying a Feedom 45. We
would love to
connect with other 45 owners to learn about their experiences with this
boat. ALso any susggestions on finding one for sale would also be
helpfull.
Attachment: (image/gif) image001.gif [not stored]
Posted by lance_ryley (lance_ryley@…>)
The Freedom 45 is a very nice boat. It has some features that I think
are very well thought out, including having the water and fuel tanks on
centerline right over the keel. The engine room has excellent access,
as do most of the steering components. The original design of the
companionway slider was a two-piece system that was notorious for
leaking; many owners have converted it to a one-piece slide.
The fit and finish below is very good, with cherry used extensively
instead of teak to keep the interior light and airy. There is a ton of
storage throughout the boat, and more can be added with a little
ingenuity. The master cabin has an inline queen-sized bed, with a 3/4
walkaround that makes it easy to get in and out without having to climb
over your partner. There are two heads. The forward is accessible from
the salon or from the v-berth. The aft head has a separate shower stall.
The rig is a typical Freedom sloop, with a small headsail on a
camberspar (if it’s the original setup) and a very large main with a
lot of roach. The 45 came in two sized rigs; a tall and
an ‘intracoastal’ rig. I believe the mast height on the tall is about
63’, so it still handles the intracoastal while providing a bit more
sail area than its shorter cousin. I have seen at least one 45 that
was converted from camber spar to roller furling, and further one with
a roller furling 100% jib on a hoyt jib-boom. an electric 2-speed winch
(standard) helps alleviate the issues around hauling up such a massive
sail.
I wasn’t sure I would like the feel of sailing a center-cockpit boat,
but the 45 is a joy, feels stable, tracks well and is responsive. I
don’t have a lot of upwind experience (yet), but we were pretty happy
with 35 - 40 degrees true. In moderate air, we saw about 5.5 kts upwind
and 8.5 downwind (with gennaker). I’ve been told it’s not a light-air
boat (at 30,000lbs I’m not surprised), but I think it probably performs
better than many other 45s in that regard.
there may have been some 45s that had some production issues, mostly
centering around the bedding of ports. For some reason, it seems
Freedom never did quite get that right, or at least consistent, across
a wide number of models.
While I’m going to miss the cat-ketch rig and its versatility, I think
the compromise of the 45, still with a relatively shallow draft and
more waterline for passagemaking, is well worth it and I think she’s a
great vessel.
The only concern I have at this point is the main sheet, which runs
from a traveler behind the wheel, along the boom, and then back to the
cockpit into a line stopper. The jib sheets similarly, meaning that you
have to leave the helm to adjust either sail (or have a second set of
hands). On the plus side, the helmsperson does have control of the
traveler, so a quick dump of the main if overpowered is possible.
Just my 2cts, but I think if you find one at a price you like, you
could do worse but you’d be hard pressed to do better.
Unless, of course, you want a cat-ketch. I’ll extoll its virtues to you
for as long as you can stand it, and then I’ll sell you mine 
Lance
Bright Star / Glory
— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “nathansteve”
<Nathansteve@…> wrote:
We are interested in possibly buying a Feedom 45. We would love to
connect with other 45 owners to learn about their experiences with
this
boat. ALso any susggestions on finding one for sale would also be
helpfull.
Posted by Frank Maier (PVMaro@…>)
— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
…snip…
— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “nathansteve”
<Nathansteve@> wrote:We are interested in possibly buying a Feedom 45. We would love to
connect with other 45 owners to learn about their experiences with
this
boat. ALso any susggestions on finding one for sale would also be
helpfull.
Lance made a lot of good comments. I’ll add my personal bias. The 42/45
was made in a center-cockpit version and an aft-cockpit version. There
aren’t as many aft-cockpit hulls out there; but that would sure be my
preference/prejudice if I were looking at one of these. I hate center
cockpits.
Frank
Posted by lance_ryley (lance_ryley@…>)
Lance made a lot of good comments. I’ll add my personal bias. The
42/45
was made in a center-cockpit version and an aft-cockpit version.
There
aren’t as many aft-cockpit hulls out there; but that would sure be my
preference/prejudice if I were looking at one of these. I hate center
cockpits.Frank
Frank, I have/had the same bias, and I looked at aft cockpit 42/45s as
well. One advantage to the cc (in my opinion) is that from the wheel,
it feels very much like you’re sailing a 33’ boat - visibility is good,
the foredeck is shortened, etc. Of course you have to remember you’ve
still got a good 15’ behind you I know there’s a lot of bias one way
or another on cockpit location, but… the 45 to me doesn’t ‘feel’ like
a center cockpit. your point is well taken though - there’s a certain
amount of stability and comfort being lower in the boat, at the end
that is moving the least.
Lance
Posted by michel.capel (michel.capel@…>)
Usually, CC boats have more usable interior volume than AC boats. I
don’t know the layout of the F45, but a conventional layout of a CC
boat has a huge galley under onder cockpit side deck and a huge
shower plus a storage room under the opposite deck. Add a large
master bedroom in the aft cockpit and a salon free of kitchen gear
and you have a very nice liveaboard boat.
The counterside however is usually that when sailing, you don’t sit
in the boat but you sit on top of it. There is more movement there,
because you are further away from the centre of gravity. Not ideal
for people prone to seasickness. CC cockpits are often quite shallow
with low backrests. I don’t know how this is going to work out in
heavy weather. But on the other hand, we all try to stay away from
heavy weather.
And of course, you have to like the looks of a CC boat.
Michel
— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@…> wrote:
Lance made a lot of good comments. I’ll add my personal bias.
The
42/45
was made in a center-cockpit version and an aft-cockpit version.
There
aren’t as many aft-cockpit hulls out there; but that would sure
be my
preference/prejudice if I were looking at one of these. I hate
center
cockpits.Frank
Frank, I have/had the same bias, and I looked at aft cockpit
42/45s as
well. One advantage to the cc (in my opinion) is that from the
wheel,
it feels very much like you’re sailing a 33’ boat - visibility is
good,
the foredeck is shortened, etc. Of course you have to remember
you’ve
still got a good 15’ behind you
one way
or another on cockpit location, but… the 45 to me doesn’t ‘feel’
like
a center cockpit. your point is well taken though - there’s a
certain
amount of stability and comfort being lower in the boat, at the
end
that is moving the least.Lance
Posted by Jay T. Reed (reedjayt@…>)
I find the CC a little less intimidating in a following sea.
\
From: “michel.capel” <michel.capel@…>
Reply-To: FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
To: FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [FreedomOwnersGroup] Re: Freedom 45
Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2007 07:47:43 -0000Usually, CC boats have more usable interior volume than AC boats. I
don’t know the layout of the F45, but a conventional layout of a CC
boat has a huge galley under onder cockpit side deck and a huge
shower plus a storage room under the opposite deck. Add a large
master bedroom in the aft cockpit and a salon free of kitchen gear
and you have a very nice liveaboard boat.The counterside however is usually that when sailing, you don’t sit
in the boat but you sit on top of it. There is more movement there,
because you are further away from the centre of gravity. Not ideal
for people prone to seasickness. CC cockpits are often quite shallow
with low backrests. I don’t know how this is going to work out in
heavy weather. But on the other hand, we all try to stay away from
heavy weather.And of course, you have to like the looks of a CC boat.
Michel
— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@…> wrote:Lance made a lot of good comments. I’ll add my personal bias.
The
42/45
was made in a center-cockpit version and an aft-cockpit version.
There
aren’t as many aft-cockpit hulls out there; but that would sure
be my
preference/prejudice if I were looking at one of these. I hate
center
cockpits.Frank
Frank, I have/had the same bias, and I looked at aft cockpit
42/45s as
well. One advantage to the cc (in my opinion) is that from the
wheel,
it feels very much like you’re sailing a 33’ boat - visibility is
good,
the foredeck is shortened, etc. Of course you have to remember
you’ve
still got a good 15’ behind you
one way
or another on cockpit location, but… the 45 to me doesn’t ‘feel’
like
a center cockpit. your point is well taken though - there’s a
certain
amount of stability and comfort being lower in the boat, at the
end
that is moving the least.Lance
Picture this – share your photos and you could win big!
http://www.GETREALPhotoContest.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHM&loc=us
Posted by michel.capel (michel.capel@…>)
Yes, I can imagine, no huge waves looking down at you and licking at
your back.
— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “Jay T. Reed”
<reedjayt@…> wrote:
I find the CC a little less intimidating in a following sea.
From: “michel.capel” <michel.capel@…>
Reply-To: FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
To: FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [FreedomOwnersGroup] Re: Freedom 45
Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2007 07:47:43 -0000Usually, CC boats have more usable interior volume than AC boats.
I
don’t know the layout of the F45, but a conventional layout of a
CC
boat has a huge galley under onder cockpit side deck and a huge
shower plus a storage room under the opposite deck. Add a large
master bedroom in the aft cockpit and a salon free of kitchen gear
and you have a very nice liveaboard boat.The counterside however is usually that when sailing, you don’t
sit
in the boat but you sit on top of it. There is more movement
there,
because you are further away from the centre of gravity. Not ideal
for people prone to seasickness. CC cockpits are often quite
shallow
with low backrests. I don’t know how this is going to work out in
heavy weather. But on the other hand, we all try to stay away from
heavy weather.And of course, you have to like the looks of a CC boat.
Michel
— In FreedomOwnersGroup@yahoogroups.com, “lance_ryley”
<lance_ryley@> wrote:Lance made a lot of good comments. I’ll add my personal bias.
The
42/45
was made in a center-cockpit version and an aft-cockpit
version.
There
aren’t as many aft-cockpit hulls out there; but that would
sure
be my
preference/prejudice if I were looking at one of these. I
hate
center
cockpits.Frank
Frank, I have/had the same bias, and I looked at aft cockpit
42/45s as
well. One advantage to the cc (in my opinion) is that from the
wheel,
it feels very much like you’re sailing a 33’ boat - visibility
is
good,
the foredeck is shortened, etc. Of course you have to remember
you’ve
still got a good 15’ behind you
one way
or another on cockpit location, but… the 45 to me
doesn’t ‘feel’
like
a center cockpit. your point is well taken though - there’s a
certain
amount of stability and comfort being lower in the boat, at the
end
that is moving the least.Lance
Picture this – share your photos and you could win big!
http://www.GETREALPhotoContest.com?ocid=TXT_TAGHM&loc=us