Thanks for the helpful site! I’ve been lurking, learning, and downloading systems manuals since I bought this lightly used but neglected 1983 Freedom 33 in the Spring.
She is seaworthy after a month on the hard for cleaning, repair, and refitting. She handles nicely under sail, and easily achieves 7 kt boat speed in 12kt of wind with fresh bottom paint. I am still figuring out the running rigging; I am new to cat boats. Thanks to my friends for the tow and help with cleaning and engine repair
I plan on renaming her “Tamara” when topside work is complete
Great looking restoration! The tan sails are especially attractive on a ketch.
Does she have a fixed keel, and is it original? UK versions have a long keel running right aft, or else a centreboard, about in the position of your keel.
Interesting to see that you have quite tightly made up running stays to port and starboard on the mizzen mast; did you install those, or was it the P.O.? We only have one, from the masthead, and take it to the weather side stern mooring cleat when we set a staysail. Otherwise, it is taken to the toerail amidships, with a rubber bungee to allow lateral flexing of the mast.
We like the cat ketch rig with wishbones. It’s easy to sail, the sail shape is so adjustable, and keeping the boat nearly upright gives better performance as well as better comfort. Handing and reefing the sails is easy, too; just free the sheet, ease the outhaul, ease the halyard, then tighten again at the right point, all from the cockpit.
Unusual deck layout aft of the mast - centre companionway? I’d be very interested in a few photos of the saloon and cockpit. When somewhat younger, I used to speculate about ‘improving’ the boat with a centre companion as far aft as possible and decking over the aft cabin (my late wife called it ‘the back passage’) out to the natural line of the coachroof, plus moving the sprayhood back a bit as well - subject to interference from the foot of the backsail.
There was a black boat with tan sails on the market around 2000 with a stub keel drawing around 1.8m (6 feet). We met it briefly during an extended cruise in 2003 and it seemed to a good sailer and equally stiff as the rest.
Good sailing. The season in Argyll seems to have ground to a halt amid constant fresh to strong SWly with rain . . . Nice on Orkney though.
Is it a Dickenson heater underneath the chimney? I have found by accident that mine is less troubled by strong winds and downdraughts WITHOUT the H-bit, or any other chimney - just the short pipe. I would like to try it with a slightly longer straight pipe but it’s too much bother to chase one down with many other things on the go. I bought a new H a few years ago after the original round chimney expired - hugely expensive as it came from Canada.
