Posted by maxandmich (maxandmich@…>)
Has anyone ever taken a freedom off shore? I was told by a capt in
Saint Thomas, that 3 of our boats were dismasted in the past trying to
get there but they had worked out the problem with the masts way back
when.
Posted by pmouligne@… (pmouligne@…)
I have done 2 round trips to bermuda from Newport on my F32 and 10 on my F44 of which 7 were single handed on the way down and double handed on the way back. I also cruised all the way down to Grenada and back over a 10 months period as well as cruising in the Carribean for 6 months over the past 3 winters. I cannot think of any sailboats in the same size range that would have made me and my family feel safer.
The masts were design not to break under windload, period.
If you are over canvassed enough the boat will heel until the mast goes in the water but will not brake under windload only. I came very close to doing that a couple of times. On a regular stayed sloop or ketch the same thing should happen, the problem is there are a hundred little pieces of rigging (stays, spreaders and all their nuts and bolts and pins and swages) which mutiply your chances of something breaking and the mast cosequently breaking up… Why there are so few unstayed masts for cruising yachts is still a total mystery to me…Oh, yes they have sometimes better performance to winward but they are NOT as Safe…
Patrick Mouligne F44 Frog-Kiss ( for sale…)
Posted by lance_ryley (lance_ryley@…>)
I sailed bright star from Cape May to Montauk along the ‘hypotenuse,’
which, while not terribly far off shore, was definitely out of sight of
land in fairly good seas and weather. We sailed from Boothbay around
Cape Ann to Gloucester in fairly heavy weather with no ill effects. I
do remember hearing that there was a problem with early aluminum
Freedom masts - they were two piece and they were failing at the joint.
The carbon sticks are much better, and I imagine that as long as you
use common sense regarding the amount of cloth you have up during
storms, they’d do just fine. better, in most cases, than the equivalent
match-sticked, trussed up sloop.
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “maxandmich” <maxandmich@…>
wrote:
Has anyone ever taken a freedom off shore? I was told by a capt in
Saint Thomas, that 3 of our boats were dismasted in the past trying
to
get there but they had worked out the problem with the masts way back
when.
Posted by Weeks MD, Andrew (aweeks@…>)
I second that.lastmonth I sailedmy F-30 525 miles from Frenchman BayMaine toNovaScotiathne up to Grand Manan Island and backhome.Twoovernight sailsinrough wheather and 4 days of double reef sailing.Noproblemswith the rig(the alternator was another matter)
Andy Weeks Windfall
-----Original Message-----From: freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com [mailto:freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of lance_ryleySent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 3:34 PMTo: freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.comSubject: [freedomyachts2003] Re: Off Shore Sailing
I sailed bright star from Cape May to Montauk along the ‘hypotenuse,’ which, while not terribly far off shore, was definitely out of sight of land in fairly good seas and weather. We sailed from Boothbay around Cape Ann to Gloucester in fairly heavy weather with no ill effects. I do remember hearing that there was a problem with early aluminum Freedom masts - they were two piece and they were failing at the joint. The carbon sticks are much better, and I imagine that as long as you use common sense regarding the amount of cloth you have up during storms, they’d do just fine. better, in most cases, than the equivalent match-sticked, trussed up sloop.— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “maxandmich” <maxandmich@…> wrote:>> Has anyone ever taken a freedom off shore? I was told by a capt in > Saint Thomas, that 3 of our boats were dismasted in the past trying to > get there but they had worked out the problem with the masts way back > when.>
Posted by Charles Rush Arasim (crarasim@…>)
I’ve yet to do any Off Shore work on a Freedom. I interested to know
how one would heave to if the need arose? I suspect one would have to
use a sea anchor setup of some sort. I’m giving the F35 a hard look.
With the 20% larger foretriangle the 35 might act more like a
conventional sloop rig in this respect. Any opinions or shared
experiences would be appreciated.
Posted by timothyslane (timothyslane@…>)
I’ve just sailied the f38 north from san francisco in 20 to 35 knots
of wind. My concern was with adequate reefing. I needn’t have worried,
She will sail under main alone if needed. In extemis the windage on
the mast will hold the bow so that you can fore reach under main
alone.
I also carry a drogue for huricane forces but have never needed it.
The boat will also lie-a-hull quite comfortably.
You mention a sea anchor. I would advise against it. Thay place
extreme pressure on the hull and fittings. There is also the problem
of how to recover it.
Good luck
Posted by Charles Rush Arasim (crarasim@…>)
Thanks for the advice Timothy.
Posted by Herman and Gail Schiller (hschiller2@…>)
That captain in St. Thomas was obviously unaware of the fleet Freedom
30s at Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands. They have
been used by any and all that want to at the hotel, and have been
used for one-design racing too. Virgin Island winds in the winter
months are quite strong. These boats were heavily used (abused?) for
many years with no apparent problems.
Do Boeing 777’s or Harrier Marine fighter’s wings fall off? Why worry
about the integrity of the Freedom masts? Herm
SV Impulse (Mull 28)
At 11:49 AM 10/19/2006, maxandmich wrote:
Has anyone ever taken a freedom off shore? I was told by a capt in
Saint Thomas, that 3 of our boats were dismasted in the past trying to
get there but they had worked out the problem with the masts way back
when.
Attachment: (image/jpeg) d3e985e.jpg [not stored]
Posted by michel.capel (michel.capel@…>)
Herm,
Your remark reminds me of all the times I asked worried bypassers on
the pontoon(looking up my rig) why they think aeroplanes said
goodbye to standing rigging in the 1930’s…
michel
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, Herman and Gail Schiller
<hschiller2@…> wrote:
That captain in St. Thomas was obviously unaware of the fleet
Freedom
30s at Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands. They
have
been used by any and all that want to at the hotel, and have been
used for one-design racing too. Virgin Island winds in the winter
months are quite strong. These boats were heavily used (abused?)
for
many years with no apparent problems.
Do Boeing 777’s or Harrier Marine fighter’s wings fall off? Why
worry
about the integrity of the Freedom masts? Herm
SV Impulse (Mull 28)At 11:49 AM 10/19/2006, maxandmich wrote:
Has anyone ever taken a freedom off shore? I was told by a capt in
Saint Thomas, that 3 of our boats were dismasted in the past
trying to
get there but they had worked out the problem with the masts way
back
when.
Posted by tom (ketch_22@…>)
Ketch 22 went from Galveston Bay to Fort Myers Beach in 98. She did a
round trip to Hawaii from San Francisco in 2004 (about 5000 miles),
and just recently left San Francisco for San Diego and the start of
the Baja Ha Ha, which goes on to Cabo San Lucas.
Ketch 22 is an 84 Freedom Express with the original carbon fiber
masts. I don’t think you have to look too hard to find many Freedoms
that have been well off shore. They are well built boats, regardless
of the comments of the captain in St. Thomas.
Tom Marlow
Ketch 22
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, “maxandmich”
<maxandmich@…> wrote:
Has anyone ever taken a freedom off shore? I was told by a capt in
Saint Thomas, that 3 of our boats were dismasted in the past trying to
get there but they had worked out the problem with the masts way back
when.
Posted by Herman and Gail Schiller (hschiller2@…>)
Michel,
I purposely picked those two airplanes because the Harrier’s
airframe is mostly carbon fiber, and the latest Boeing 777 likewise
is using a lot of composites in the airframe. Hence they are
analogous to the Freedom composite masts. Herm
At 03:41 AM 10/23/2006, you wrote:
Herm,
Your remark reminds me of all the times I asked worried bypassers on
the pontoon(looking up my rig) why they think aeroplanes said
goodbye to standing rigging in the 1930’s…michel
— In
mailto:freedomyachts2003%40yahoogroups.comfreedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com,
Herman and Gail Schiller
<hschiller2@…> wrote:That captain in St. Thomas was obviously unaware of the fleet
Freedom
30s at Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands. They
have
been used by any and all that want to at the hotel, and have been
used for one-design racing too. Virgin Island winds in the winter
months are quite strong. These boats were heavily used (abused?)
for
many years with no apparent problems.
Do Boeing 777’s or Harrier Marine fighter’s wings fall off? Why
worry
about the integrity of the Freedom masts? Herm
SV Impulse (Mull 28)At 11:49 AM 10/19/2006, maxandmich wrote:
Has anyone ever taken a freedom off shore? I was told by a capt in
Saint Thomas, that 3 of our boats were dismasted in the past
trying to
get there but they had worked out the problem with the masts way
back
when.
Posted by michel.capel (michel.capel@…>)
Ah, okay, I didn’t know that! I must admit that my previous Freedom
had aluminum masts, so there was a larger choice of aircraft to use
as an example!
Michel
— In freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com, Herman and Gail Schiller
<hschiller2@…> wrote:
Michel,
I purposely picked those two airplanes because the
Harrier’s
airframe is mostly carbon fiber, and the latest Boeing 777
likewise
is using a lot of composites in the airframe. Hence they are
analogous to the Freedom composite masts. HermAt 03:41 AM 10/23/2006, you wrote:
Herm,
Your remark reminds me of all the times I asked worried bypassers
on
the pontoon(looking up my rig) why they think aeroplanes said
goodbye to standing rigging in the 1930’s…michel
— In
<mailto:freedomyachts2003%
40yahoogroups.com>freedomyachts2003@yahoogroups.com,
Herman and Gail Schiller
<hschiller2@> wrote:That captain in St. Thomas was obviously unaware of the fleet
Freedom
30s at Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands.
They
have
been used by any and all that want to at the hotel, and have
been
used for one-design racing too. Virgin Island winds in the
winter
months are quite strong. These boats were heavily used
(abused?)
for
many years with no apparent problems.
Do Boeing 777’s or Harrier Marine fighter’s wings fall off? Why
worry
about the integrity of the Freedom masts? Herm
SV Impulse (Mull 28)At 11:49 AM 10/19/2006, maxandmich wrote:
Has anyone ever taken a freedom off shore? I was told by a
capt in
Saint Thomas, that 3 of our boats were dismasted in the past
trying to
get there but they had worked out the problem with the masts
way
back
when.