New to sailboats but I’m going to do this. Sail around the world once I learn enough to be safe. And I want to be able to sail some singlehanded. I’m looking at a Freedom 39, Valiant 40, and an Island Packet 38. All can be singlehanded and are close in cost and equipment. I actually want a bigger boat but these have been advised. I want a washing machine.
Tell me why I want the Freedom, please. Better visibility. ??More cut up. Thanks in advance to all. Please, move this as necessary.
PS: Major blister problems on Valient 40 hull numbers 116‑250. No problems with any of the excellent Texas built boats. Proven designs, strong company.
I bought a Freedom 40/40 about 10 years ago and have put over 35,000 miles on it. Your criteria (aside from the washer, although Sue would give just about about anything to have one), was similar to mine. Single-handling was a key criteria, and I’ve put many miles on it with just me aboard. I find the boat extremely easy to single-hand.
The stay-less rig is a joy when you have to go forward. No stays to wind your way around, although at times it would be nice to have something to grab on to! My boat has a self tending jib, and it’s wonderful to simply turn the wheel and have the jib flop to the other side and you just cruise along on your new tack. One thing that you need to get used to is looking up and seeing the mast bending in high winds. Of course this is exactly what you want to see and this allows the wind to spill off of the top of the sail, reducing heal.
The boats are extremely well made. I’ve been through serious storms and have never worried once about the construction. I’ve been on other boats where I can’t say that I was as sure. You’ll find an extremely well built boat.
You’ll also appreciate the fit and finish of the interior. Freedom did an outstanding job of that, and we constantly get complements on that aspect. While I can’t speak for the F-39, the 40/40 allows a lot of sunlight inside, making it very cheery. It’s also well ventilated.
The biggest issue that I have with Freedoms is that there’s a lot of storage space, but that’s done at the expense of access to systems. You can work on them, but some times you need to be a contortionist. Every boat is a series of trade-offs, and this is one of them. On the flip side, we can store a ton (literally) of spares/food/etc.
I’m sure that lots of others will jump in here with their own views, but I can assure you that if you were to buy a Freedom, you wouldn’t be sorry.
Thanks Geoff. Actually I like a Hunter 54, too, but I keep getting steered away from it. I’m beginning to wonder if I should purchase a C/C with a lot of room and ‘necessities’ and just sail the Caribbean for awhile until I can afford a bigger blue water cruiser. I’m also thinking about a centerboard.
I would strongly suggest that you buy the best/biggest boat that you can afford and stick with that. You’re going to spend a lot of time and money getting your next boat into the condition that you want it in, and one of the last things that you’ll want to do is to start over again with yet another boat.
I’ve been looking at sailboats for weeks and they tend to get bigger and ‘better’ by the hour. I think I should get the biggest and best I can afford while being able to handle her easily. If not then I won’t want to sail her and that defeats the purpose.
I just don’t know enough to make a true informed decision. Right now that leaves me at the mercy of others or a broker. My best bet is to sail with another until I find out what I can do and what I like. That means giving up some independence and I’m not real good at that.
I don’t know what your plans are, but I’d suggest cruising in the US for at least a year to figure out what you need/want. Then you’re local to parts and service. Once you leave the US, forget it. Unfortunately the reality of the matter is that it will take years to figure out what works/doesn’t-work, what you want/need/don’t-need. BlueJacket is a continual work in progress. No one can tell you what you’ll need/want. You’ll have to figure that out.
I don’t know what your personal status is, but since you’re talking about single-handling, I’d guess that you don’t have an admiral. Believe me, an admiral will re-arrange your priorities!
I’m always looking for the next ex-Admiral though. Must love Harleys, boats, scuba diving, and must cook. Ooops, sorry I forgot I wasn’t on eHarmony.
On odd days I feel like I’m being a control freak and just say to myself…get out there then work it out. On even days I think look before leaping and get it as right as you can the first time. I’ve fished offshore so long I know how dangerous it can get and that all sorts of things happen eventually.
Not everywhere outside the US of A is third world country.
In Western Europe, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, Brazil, St. Maarten, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and probably another dozen countries around the world has good availability of parts and service. The smaller countries with large sailing communities like New Zealand and the Netherlands have many marine suppliers on a small area and therefore very good availability of everything you might need and there is a lot of innovative knowledge about modern materials like carbon fibre.
I suggest that you remove your derogatory remark about the rest of the world.
My experience, is that while there are small pockets of parts/experience, the vast majority of the Caribbean is heavily lacking in those areas. I always define cruising as “repairing complex systems in exotic locations.” Quite often my definition of “exotic” is someplace that FedEx doesn’t know about. I’ve spent a ton of money shipping parts into locations all over the Caribbean, and often the price of the shipping/customs/taxis/etc has been more than the cost of the parts.
In 2003 I moved BlueJacket from Belize to Florida and back to Guatemala just so that I could do a major refit of systems that I had determined needed to be updated or replaced due to my cruising experience. This included replacing the refrigeration system with one of my own design, installing a wind generator, solar panels and replacing my generator with one that worked. I spent all of that time moving the boat because I knew that it would have been next to impossible to get the parts that I needed in the NW Caribbean. If I managed to order every single part that I needed and had it shipped to Guatemala (forget Belize, duty will kill you), I could have done it (or had it done) down there, but if there was any chance that I didn’t have any part, I was screwed. Even in Ft. Lauderdale, where I did the work and everything for boats exists, I occasionally ran into issues.
As far as I know, other than my KISS wind generator, nothing that’s boat related is manufactured in the Caribbean. Everything is imported. That means customs duty and expensive air-shipping or lower cost/slow cargo-ship shipping. So I could never suggest that someone refit systems in the Caribbean. If you want to have your boat repainted or mechanical work done on it (I had BlueJacket Awlgripped in Grenada for easily 50% of what it would have cost in the US), then you can get deals. However, we’re talking about figuring out what systems the poster needed, and not mechanical work.
You’re probably all right… Geoff for explaining that getting spares etc in the Carribean can be difficult (no experience myself but I’ve heard stories from friends, although one who bought a hurricane damaged boat seemed to fix it up OK), Michel for explaining that consumables are of course available outside the US (I’ve just about circumnavigated Europe and had no problems). If you need it you’ll find it and get it or make it or get it made just about anywhere.
As to choosing a boat, well I bought a Sunbird 32 schooner junk more or less as a bare hull back in 1980 and spent the next 30+ years fitting her out, by which time my needs, attitudes, skills and energy had all changed. Whatever boat you buy it’s unlikely to turn out ‘right’. The best advice I ever read was from Lyn and Larry Pardey (they’ve written loads of books) who say ‘just go in whatever boat you’ve currently got or catches your eye’. My ‘admiral’ and I sold the Sunbird last year - painful - but then fell for a Freedom 39 PHS which is now ours. Only sailed here once so far, and that with the previous owner. We love the layout, the brightness of the saloon, the clever features and the build quality. The rig is as yet an unknown, but as we’re used to unstayed rigs if we don’t get on with it we’ll simply convert her to a junk schooner. The condensation from those big windows is a problem though - every feature of every boat seems to be both a plus and a minus.
Don’t spend too long dreaming and scheming, Jobberone. Whilst driving to take over the F39 some guy drove into the back of us while we were doing 60 mph. No permanent damage (except to our little Seat Arosa which will soon be a pile of junk) but our dream could easily have been over.
The waiting ‘not too long’ was more than excellent advice. It was almost prophetic. Got ill three or so weeks ago and just couldn’t shake it. Had to leave town and of course got worse and ended up in the hospital. Lost 20 lbs and had many tests. Never found out what was wrong, got better but not well, and there I am.
So apologies to all the people who discussed my dream with me, the many people who offered info on their boats, and the couple who invited me to travel to Trinidad with them.
Not giving up but will need some more evaluation. Hope to see all of you somewhere and sometime soon.
Sorry to hear about the illness. Hopefully they’ll figure out what’s wrong and/or you’ll just get better.
I certainly understand and appreciate the “don’t wait too long” concept. Life is short and unpredictable. Grab it while you can.
And with this I leave you with the words of Mark Twain:
Years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the things that you did do.
So throw off the bow lines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the tradewinds in your sails.
Explore.
Dream.
Discover.
Speedy recovery to you. And if I may, a positive vision of the future can go a long way in helping out with that. So clutch that dream ever the tighter my friend, and we will see you out there.
