to the community:
It’s offical I just took the plunge and have joined the truely unique and werd world of owning a Freedom 25 just picked her up yesterday. Spent the day stripping her down and getting her ready to pull in my shop to start working on her this winter. If any of you are in providence RI feel free to come by and hang out, I’m excited to meet people who own and interested in Freedom boats.
cheers,
yarrow
Congrats and welcome to the club!’
– Geoff
Good deal! Enjoy!
George
Welcome. I got my Freedom 25 just about the same time last year. Love the boat. Not sure what you plan to do re mast stepping, but there is detailed info re the process available. Where did you get the boat? Yanmar? Wing or rd mast?
Joe
“Louise B”
Uxbridge,MA
boat is coming along nicely,
she is inside and getting warm, to my supprise I have gottan very little water in my dehumidifier with heat and fans running for 2 days. I did sponge the bilge dry. I’ve started on a list of stuff to do so I don’t waste time doing things twice, and making priorities to help me get on the water with a safe boat. as soon as I figure out how to post pics I will ASAP.
cheers,
yarrow
I would like to get the detailed info about stepping a mast on a F25, if anybody can help with this that would be great.
cheers,
Hello Yarrow,
I made a 20’ A-frame with some 1.25 square tubing which I use to step and unstep my mast. If I were to make a new A-frame I would make it 21’ high. You simply have to lower the mast through the deck hole and make sue the bearing at the bottom of your mast seats over the 1" spindle. That’s all there is to it.
Jim D
That’s how they often did it in “the old days”. Great work!
George
It’s official for me too. I too just bought a Freedom 25 with rebuilt diesel in great shape in Havre De Grace, MD. Will soon move it up to Barnegat Bay in NJ. Am very happy with the boat so far (it’s still on land). Can’t wait to sail it.
David
congratulations David, I am sure you will love your new boat.
Will you sail her home to Barnegat Bay or trailer her? Where will you keep boat? I sometimes sail with a friend who keeps his boat at Dillons Creek marina in Toms River NJ.
Jim D
Hi Jim,
I’m going to sail it. I have one more day’s work before it goes into the water.
I put in a new depthfinder–had to drill out the old thru-hull to take a larger one.
Know any good and reasonable canvas workers around Barnegat? I need a new bimini and am going to add a dodger.
I’ll be in Forked River. It’s a beautiful place.
David
it’s great to see how peoples F25’s are coming together, post some pics of your projects. I hope to get mine in the water in 2 weeks, I’ve decided to keep here in Wickford RI.
cheers,
yarrow
I will ask my friend for a reference for a canvas shop.
Am I right to assume you are sailing north on the outside? If the seas are high, keep your companionway closed if you do not have a dodger. Are you familiar with entering Barnegat?
Happy sailing
Jim D
I will go on the outside from Cape May to Absecon at Atlantic City. As I understand it, there are three bridges here on the inside that are only 30 feet high. I will then go on the inside from Absecon to Forked River. I have made this trip before.
I haven’t been through Barnegat Inlet in a long time, and would just as well avoid this place. Not too pretty sometimes.
Why do you say to keep my hatch closed? Just as a general rule? or something specific to the Freedom 25?
David
[url]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I1wyAMLa3oM/ThMbYdXVVgI/AAAAAAAAAiw/tj_-ZBIY7sc/s1600/IMG_1491.jpg/url]here is a pic of my F25, just finished removing all the bottom paint from boat. It has bee in fresh water for 4 years to my surprise no blistering that I can see. will sand with 100 grit and 2 coats of new bottom paint. I also serviced my main hatch, and prepping to fill all the misc holes in deck from misc stuff which was installed on boat from past owners.
Nah, it’s nothing specific to the F25; it has a bridge deck to exclude water from the interior. It could be the previous respondent was confusing it with the F28-2 and F30 which do not have a bridge deck; you must keep the lower hatch board in place when things get dicey. Advice about inlets is to avoid them when current is opposed by strong winds; this makes for what I call “square waves”.
Yes, nothing specific to the F25 but no confusion with F28-2 or F30 on my part. I have sailed this part of the Atlantic, In high winds plenty of times and know that if I sailed my F25 there without a dodger and my companionway open, my interior would have been soaked. If I need to close mine on Long Island Sound to stay dry when it is blowing 25+ one would certainly need to do the same on the Atlantic. I have had plenty of waves spray over the cabin top soaking the skipper in it’s path.
Jim D
companion doors:
as for F25 owners what do you have, I have a single large unit which is tinted plastic. but have been thinking of making one which is divided into 3 units and would allow me to have screened units to slide in place, and or put a bottom section in for cruising etc.
cheers,
yarrow
I don’t like the single hatch board on my 25 either, and I’m in the process of making new ones out of epoxy-coated 3/4" exterior plywood. And while I’m at it, I’m also making a set that will hold my house air-conditioner.
Actually, after the boards are finished and working, I’m going to try to cut the existing hatch in two. With a new piece of teak molding at the joint, it should work fine. Just not sure about cutting the original board. Is it made of lexan?
The ones I’m building new from ply are in case I mess up cutting the original one, I’m not left with nothing.
David