We own Freedom 40 “High Heels”, Hull #18. We have a lot of ongoing boat projects and would really appreciate some advice about on of them.
We need to install a windlass. We have the windlass already but this boat has never had one. From what we learnt, the best location would be at the center of the bow. We first considered mounting it in the area shown in the photo where it stands now, since there is open space there and it fits well, but we are worried the chain angle may be wrong and it causes some troubles.
Also our boat has a custom bowsprit, so putting the windlass on center would require some changes. We are considering a few options: building a raised metal mount welded to the existing structure, making some kind of fiberglass platform, or possibly redesigning the bowsprit completely.
The second issue is that our boat also has a custom third sail. We are attaching old photos from a previous owner showing that the bowsprit once had an extension for it, but that part was missing when we bought the boat. We would like to rebuild that extension, but we do not fully understand how it should be constructed.
Since we may need to modify the bowsprit for both the windlass and the third sail, we are wondering if it makes more sense to redesign the whole thing and make a new one.
Also, the chain hole may need to be moved, and the deck core in that area appears to be rotten, so that will likely need repair too.
Has anyone done something similar on a Freedom 40, or seen a setup that might help? Any advice or photos would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
In 2022, I installed a manual windlass on my Freedom 35 that isn’t aligned with the boat’s centerline. To do this, I completely modified the original bowsprit.
I would mount your windlass on the side like you want to, but i would make a chute to drop the chain into the center of your chain locker under the deck.
Thank you! And the hole where chain goes Is it right under the windlass? Couldn’t see it in video. I think we will have to move that hole on our boat to a bit another location
I’m not sure I understood right. You mean like this? Moving that hole for the chain we have closer to windlass? That hole helps chain to go to the bow locker, yea. But like to the side of the locker because there is the mast boot in the middle of the locker
Looks nice! I like you project. What we have is like locker at the forward cabin where mast is and there is a hole in the deck for chain. So it just falls down somewhere near the mast. I think I just would love to improve it somehow so everything is organized in there. Probably it’s not so good when chain always touches the mast…
In principle, all first-generation Freedom models were designed with two hawseholes on either side of the mast, so the chain and rigging run around the mast.
Why not? But the problem is that water entering through the hawseholes ends up in the boat’s bilge. So during the Atlantic crossing to bring the F33 to France, a lot of water came in that way.
So I filled the two holes with plywood and laminated both sides to make sure it was completely secure.
You can, of course, drill a new hole elsewhere for a new chain and rope passage. This hole should be located under the windlass, more precisely under the windlass headstock.
But don’t forget to protect the fiberglass/balsa sandwich by removing a little balsa around the hole and filling the space with an epoxy/filler mixture.
