New (to me) 1982 Freedom 39 PH owner

Use this forum to discuss anything that doesn't fit anywhere else.
Post Reply
dgrodey
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2023 8:50 am

New (to me) 1982 Freedom 39 PH owner

Post by dgrodey »

Howdy!

I know what you're thinking, "The 39PH didn't come out until 1983." and you're right. Except the one I bought is hull number 002. I don't know if it was a prototype, or one that was used for the press at the time, but I do know it's definitely been through some changes during its history.

Currently it's moored near Houston, TX and I have plans to eventually (hopefully late next month) to sail it back to the East side of Florida where I live.
I've been back and forth twice since November living aboard the boat for about 5 weeks total, fixing things in order to get it in shape for the trip.

I would love to hear from anyone who has previous experience with this boat. It's currently named Salsa 2 - I'm going to change the name. Hope y'all don't mind but the current name seems to beg the question, "What happened to Salsa 1?".

I also hope y'all don't mind if I ask about 1.5 million questions regarding this boat and asking for recommendations regarding repair and sourcing for parts. In the meantime: Here's a pic of the boat when it was hauled for the survey - if it loads.
Attachments
20221027_123534[1].jpg
20221027_123534[1].jpg (2.28 MiB) Viewed 3589 times

User avatar
RadioZephyr
Posts: 259
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2016 10:04 am
Location: Boston, MA

Re: New (to me) 1982 Freedom 39 PH owner

Post by RadioZephyr »

I think there’s a picture of this boat hanging in the bathroom of Paul Dennis’s shop. I’ve been looking at the picture for years, and then I saw you mention that you have hull #2.
Freedom 39 PH, number 002
Freedom 39 PH, number 002
D41D730B-0197-4CE5-A9EE-359AA9C3C5B8.jpeg (3.54 MiB) Viewed 3528 times
Josh
Sunset Spy
F38, Hull #152
Boston, MA

dgrodey
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2023 8:50 am

Re: New (to me) 1982 Freedom 39 PH owner

Post by dgrodey »

Wow tough crowd! 50+ views and no replies lol. I promise I'll try to be more of an asset than a liability.

HIN TSP39002M82F

I'll be honest - the boat seemed to be being used as a liveaboard for some time and had a LOT of deferred maintenance. But the sails look to be almost new, so I don't know if that was another owner back or the previous owner was planning on going somewhere with it. This was an estate sale, so I never got to meet the actual previous owner.

I had 2 surveyors, a guy with 40 some years experience and his apprentice he was training to replace him. The apprentice remembered the boat from her days in the Sea Scouts. The surveyor asked me with a grin if I was looking for a project. Of course I am!
Anyway, the surveyor pronounced the hull to be sound and the rigging in decent shape (there's a couple of lines and some other things that need to be replaced).
It's been repowered with a Yanmar 4JH. The installation seems like it was either a rush job or done by a previous owner (or both). The cockpit panel is inop and the shifter in the pilot house only goes into forward gear. And the wiring running up the bilge lays hard on the oil filter and starboard engine mount. (Former USAF Jet Engine Guy, I hate chafing wires)
The interior hatches and windows have leaked over time and have toasted the woodwork inside. I've replaced 2 of the windows, rebedded 2 ore and fixed the hatches.
Behind the electrical panel it looks like a Picasso painting if he'd done a still life of a plate of spaghetti.
Despite all this I really love this boat. I like the unconventional rigging and design and the way the pilot house is integrated. I really like the way it set up for easy single handing. As one of my new friends on the dock said when I gave him a tour, "Your boat is really weird, but I like it!".
So, yeah, it's a 40 yr old boat that's been neglected and hacked on. But it seems to have good bones. I gave it bonus points for having working AC and refrigerator.

Anyway, since y'all seem to like pictures, Here's some more from the survey and subsequent trips working on it:
Ooops seems like I'm limited to 6 Mb
Attachments
A lick of paint
A lick of paint
20221110_143919[2].jpg (1.98 MiB) Viewed 3528 times
My surveyor discovers why we had no authority in reverse
My surveyor discovers why we had no authority in reverse
20221027_104856[1].jpg (1.82 MiB) Viewed 3528 times
Coming out of the water
Coming out of the water
20221027_104439[1].jpg (2.08 MiB) Viewed 3528 times
Last edited by dgrodey on Sun Jan 29, 2023 1:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

dgrodey
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2023 8:50 am

Re: New (to me) 1982 Freedom 39 PH owner

Post by dgrodey »

Hi RadioZephyr!

You posted about the same time as me!
Nice photo! If it's the same boat, the hatch over the piltohouse helm has been removed. I'll have to check and see if I can find any evidence next time I'm out there.

I called Paul and talked to him after I bought the boat. I was fishing for some drawings of the windows so I could get some new ones made. At least I think it was Paul.

Real nice guy either way.

User avatar
RadioZephyr
Posts: 259
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2016 10:04 am
Location: Boston, MA

Re: New (to me) 1982 Freedom 39 PH owner

Post by RadioZephyr »

Pretty sure it’s the same boat, due to the “2” on the sail. Freedom used the production numbers of their boats as the sail number.

Yeah, Paul rules.
Josh
Sunset Spy
F38, Hull #152
Boston, MA

User avatar
newt2u
Posts: 236
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2019 11:24 am
Location: UK

Re: New (to me) 1982 Freedom 39 PH owner

Post by newt2u »

Just seen your post. The forum seems a bit quiet these days but let me offer a welcome. Despite the problems, that is one nice looking boat you have there, I'd sell my grandma for one of those, in any condition. Don't worry at 74 tomorrow, I have no grannies left to sell 😩. Anyway, I wish you all the best in your project. I for one like following other's projects so please do start a thread and let us know your progress.

Chris
Rockin - F21 twin drop keels - located Whitehaven, Cumbria, UK

dgrodey
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2023 8:50 am

Re: New (to me) 1982 Freedom 39 PH owner

Post by dgrodey »

Hi Chris! And Happy Birthday!

Thanks for the welcome and compliments. I've noticed it's a quiet board, but I'm OK with that because this has the most info regarding the 39 PH.

I've posted a few things where I think it fits. I don't think about documenting a lot of the stuff I've been doing. Either I don't have the time to take a picture, or the boat is a chaotic mess. The big table sure can hold a lot of tools! Also, I've had my dogs with me for the last 2 trips and they can be handful. They're about 10 lbs each or 20 lbs of combined fury. Depends on how you look at it. One of them discovered he can jump off the boat onto the dock the last day I was there. In a way, I'm impressed because he's 15yrs old.

Here's a pic of one of them "helping" me (by standing on my chest) find a broken wire to the stern light:
Attachments
20221113_131505[1].jpg
20221113_131505[1].jpg (1.69 MiB) Viewed 3446 times

dgrodey
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2023 8:50 am

Re: New (to me) 1982 Freedom 39 PH owner

Post by dgrodey »

I hope Y'all don't mind if I continue this thread with updates...

I just got back from 2 weeks on the boat. I find these trips to be a nice vacation from being retired.

I got the new Balmar alternator installed and Hooray! The tachometer works again and the hour meter has resumed counting! The worst part of the job was swapping the pulley as the engine has serpentine belt and the alternator came with an old style single belt pulley. Pretty sure some of the swear words are still hanging in the air today.

I managed to raise the sails one calm morning. They look the same as the sails in the picture in Paul's office. They have the Freedom logo and the number2. I have a hard time believing these are the original 40 yr old sails. They're in too good of shape. It seems these were made by North Sails. I had to replace one of the track guides that attaches to the batten. Not a hard to find item and it was a straightforward process to replace it.

I checked the SWR of my antenna in preparation to install a new radio/AIS. The radio installation guide says it needs to be 2.1 or less @ 162MHz. I came up with closer to 4. I cleaned the cable end and checked the connections and 3.9, so no new radio until I get the antenna and cable replaced. The guy who does my rigging was swamped, so next trip.

We took the boat out for a motor cruise on my birthday. It steers great going forward, reverse is a different story. Maybe next time I'll just drive it backwards until I get the hang of it. Anyway, it was a brief but exciting cruise. We were almost to the bridge at the entrance to Galveston Bay when the engine quit. I mean it just randomly shut off with no warning. Fortunately, it started right back up and we decided it was time to get back to the marina. The next day I took the inspection cover off the starboard tank and found the rubber gasket on the cover had been deteriorated by the fuel and there were chunks of mushy rubber all over the bottom of the tank. I highly recommend Diesel Fuel Maintenance, Inc if you're in the area and need your fuel cleaned up. They use a centrifuge system which removes particles down to .5 microns. The techs were nice, knew their stuff and kept it tidy. Also they provide you with a before and after fuel analysis after they do the process. I went to the local hardware store and got some neoprene sheet to replace the gasket. I think when I go back I'm going to bring some Hylomar Blue to seal the covers with and get the neoprene out of there.

The highlight of this trip was the ceremony to rename the boat. Hopefully, Poseidon, Aeolus and the four winds are pleased as I was not chintzy with the wine! Pretty sure everyone else on my dock was just as hungover the next morning as I was. I don't remember much about putting the new name on the transom lol.
I didn't take many pictures this trip. I'm usually too focused on the task to remember to document. I did get a couple of happy snaps while the fuel guys were out, so you can see the new name on the transom and also my crew supervising the work in progress.
Attachments
20230307_091904[1].jpg
20230307_091904[1].jpg (2.14 MiB) Viewed 3195 times
20230307_085233[1].jpg
20230307_085233[1].jpg (1.92 MiB) Viewed 3195 times

Post Reply