Posted by Jacqui Macconnell (jacimac@…>)
Hello Alex,
welcome.
How wonderful to read your humorous letters. The FOG (Freedom Owners
Group) chat list is a constant source of information and
entertainment. Thank you for adding some of both. It is also very
cool to see people from other continents developing an (at first)
academic interest in these amazing boats, and showing up here to ask
questions. Nothing like some other deeply thoughtful person writing
in a few years later to ratify the purchase I, and others here, have
already made!
On cold days, or days when the wind won’t blow, or days when the boat
is (still) in the yard and on the hard, we remember happily
why this is the best possible boat for us anyway, and slyly try to
get others to join our parade. Hurray.
Yes, they are good good boats. They are no longer made. Something
about too expensive to construct these days at same high standards
and routinely find willing buyers. Before ceasing production
officially, the company kept them up on their website as
a “custom-build” option for a few years. “We’ll make you one from
scratch.” Don’t know how many families took them up on that, but
the company finally stopped that, too.
I don’t know if you know that they were made to Llyod’s of London
insurance standards? Also an American shipping standard. ABS?
The older these now not-in-construction beauties get, the better
value I believe they are. For some very interesting background, read
Ferenc Mate’s chapter on Freedoms in his book, “The World’s Best
Sailboats.” If you can’t find it, perhaps someone on the FOG can scan
it and ship it to you as a pdf.
I began looking for my very own boat in about 1990. Started with an
Erickson 27. Fell thru, the engine spewed oil. Good thing.
Would have been too small. Went to Juneau, Alaska and had the
privilege of riding along with Chris and Heather Stockard in
a race on their well-found Freedom 32, Legacy. One of the Hoyt wide-
body 32’s. Deep draft. Absolutely love those. They had even sailed
her up among the glaciers.
I wanted a Freedom, but couldn’t buy one for a long long time. Looked
next at Cal’s designed by a fine racer and sailor, William Lapworth.
Great boats for the price. Lower then and now than Freedoms. My
favorite is the Cal 33. They didn’t make very many, but
it is a fine mix between “can sleep several” and, “can go like scoot
while still being somewhat short-handed.” The Cals built in the
early through late 1970’s, and designed by Mr. Lapworth, are very
good boats for the money, and still regarded in racing circles. The
Cal 40’s still compete routinely in the Transpacific race.
(Transpac.) They also have a very helpful and active chat list. While
you must do typical sail handling, they are solid fiberglass below
the water line, and overbuilt. In that the ultimate strength of
fiberglass was not yet known. If you can’t get over your concerns
about balsa cored boats, consider writing also to the Cal list, and
exploring some of those good boats. There are many types and they are
affordable.
I looked at some of the other marques and models you have mentioned,
too. Including the Irwin 37. When I was finally fortunate to have
heard I’d won a long lawsuit, and saw a well-priced Freedom 36/38 in
Seattle, all in the same week, I finally chose my boat in in August
2003. I had never been aboard or sailed one of these, but the time
and price were right, and I had great faith in the company. I came
home to tell the 17 year old, and he said, “yeah, right Mom, you’ve
been looking at boats since I was four…”
She is deep drafted, and I live up north of Seattle near the San Juan
Islands. She is absolutely perfect for where I am and how we use her.
Once in awhile, when the winds are strong, we race her, too. And many
times, we win. Summer light winds, we don’t bother.
She does so many things well that my friends laugh and say “you seem
to think she can do anything”. Well, so far, very good!
She keeps myself and my family incredibly safe. She has great space
for entertaining. Like the Hoyt F32, she also has greatly separated
sleeping quarters for cruising. She is a breeze to sail, and I have a
photo of a two year old baby girl, standing on the cockpit cushion,
with one hand on the wheel, looking away seaward, handling the boat
under full sail on a grand day, while the seven adults drank their
beers. This my youngest helm so far, but what a brilliantly conceived
and constructed sail concept she proves the boat is. Believe she may
have still been in diapers. Little Rosalie.
I used to think that my “real” sailing friends would be bored with
such a simple rig. I knew it was what I wanted and needed
ever since I’d ridden along with the Stockards years back up in
Alaska. But what about friends down here who were used
to typical rigs and all the work associated? My primary race crew
members are long term competitors, they love her too. So,
it’s all good.
One of the most impressive things she’s done for me so far is self
adjust to a big wind bump on an unsuspecting summer day.
We were moving merrily along with a new hand at the wheel. Perfect
day. Sunny, warm (that’s rare up here), my minister and
I up on the bow barefoot, pretending we were heiresses, and suddenly
got hit by ten more knots. I would guess we were at
about thirty knots total.
I motioned back at the young grad student on the wheel to turn it, he
did. I was new. Sadly, I motioned to him precisely the
wrong direction. Overpowered? A bit. A lot. I carefully crawled over
the cabin house, significantly heeled, back to the cockpit,
and corrected as should have been.
Here’s what’s amazing: in that wind, and a completely wrong rudder,
the boat merely laid over deep, once, and kept moving.
It was a though she had found a new rail below the water to lock
onto. There was no wobbling, no hunting, no shuddering,
just one sound dramatic adjustment. And though I was in a high state
of adrenalin creeping back heeled sideways toward the cockpit, there
was also not even any blue water coming through the toe rails. How
can this be?
Over dinner later my two new-to-sailing guests, the Reverend and the
grad student, said “gosh, we didn’t know you were even concerned at
all, we just thought you looked awfully intense…” Say howdy.
So, I won’t do that again, but I am proud to know the boat is
engineered well beyond what I ever thought she was. I believe they
all are. And it makes me feel like, as long as I keep learning and am
respectful of the sea and weather, she will please us at
anchor or in crossings. Should I ever get that far.
Your concerns about the balsa core below decks are valid, and you
should definitely get a dry boat or be prepared for a
whole lot of work. It is possible to do it, but, yikes. This chat
list has lots of helpful advice from folks who have made those
corrections, or still are doing so. There is another caution, and
that is hull blisters. Believe the resins in the lay up were changed
after a certain year of production of Freedoms, and that the “newer”
Freedoms don’t have those issues. Not certain all older ones
are even subject to them, but be mindful about that, too. Others on
this list have lots to help on this subject.
If the Punta Gorda deep-drafted Hoyt F32 meets your soundness and
cost needs, she’d be a wonderful boat, and deserves being adopted.
Very best wishes, and keep us informed.
Jacqui MacConnell
Bellingham, Washington State,
USA
aka
Captain Jac,
SPARROW
1986 F36/38
hull no. 48
They also careen for hull scraping quite willingly.
But I don’t recommend it as a typical procedure,
and this wasn’t.
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