How do Freedom 35s age?

[arbeitslos]

I've been browsing the usual sites and have come across this boat:

https://www.edwardsyachtsales.com/bo...chts/35/46694/

It's a 1995 Freedom 35. From what I can tell, they were built well.

They look to have mildly sub-optimal performance upwind due to the self-tacking jib, but the self-tacking jib also means my kids could helm the boat (under supervision), which is important to me as I think giving kids responsibility for others is good for their development.

The freestanding mast holds some appeal to me as a used boat buyer. Standing rigging is both critical and often neglected, and it seems all used boats are in need of standing rigging refresh and inspection.

A boat with a freestanding mast avoids these problems - there are no chainplates to inspect, shrouds to replace, seized turnbuckles, etc. As a used boat buyer, this looks to save me known costs, time, and complexity.

Of course, I'm assuming some unknown costs and risks here as well.

What concerns are there with these boats as they age? I assume that a mast failure on such a boat renders it an economic total loss.

Does anyone have good information about these boats in general, or this specific boat in particular?

[Reeve21]

These are wonderful boats. I sailed a 1995 from 2015-2023. Speed will surprise you, especially off the wind, but as you say they don’t go to weather—-just crack off 10 degrees, and downwind is a piece of cake with the camberspar controlling the jib.

The interior is beautiful and very well ventilated. Driest boat down below I ever owned.

The cockpit can be tight, that big wheel is a lot to step around. And the main is huge, an electric winch highly recommended.

The mast was not an issue for me and I’m not aware of any failures.

The hulls are cored. Check carefully around the port in the aft cabin, and also along the plastic fittings in the waterline. That area is not solid glass and if one of the fittings cracks you will get water intrusion.

Everything you could ever want to know is here:

Freedomyachts.org

[massnspace]

I owned a Freedom 39 Pilothouse for awhile. Mid-80s boat.

I purchased it in part because of the interior woodwork, which was brilliant. TPI build. Like a violin, the joinery was….

But.

The boat had a large aluminum fuel tank under the interior table. It was NOT leaking, but I have owned 2 other mid-80s boats that DID develop leaking aluminum fuel tanks, so I was a bit worried.

In the Freedom, to remove the fuel tank, one would have to:

1. Remove the table and table seating, by carefully removing hundreds of bungs and screws, then hoping to pry the glue lines apart without destroying the parts.
2. Remove the solid teak and holly floor planks, one at a time, that made up the floor, by again carefully removing hundreds of bungs and screws.
3. Remove the 3/4” plywood subfloor.
4. Remove the heavily-glassed in transverse stringers by grinding out where they were glassed into the hull sides.
5. Remove the tank.
6. Install it all back in the reverse order.

I think it would have been near impossible, and/or taken weeks and weeks to do this, especially if one wanted to resuse all the carefully built and stained custom wood construction. It would have been either very, very expensive, or taken a very, very long time if owner done.

I ended up selling the boat, and that was one of the main reasons I did.

So. Marvel at the woodwork, but if you would ever need to do major surgery on the boat, it might be an obstacle.

[Reeve21]

The fuel tank on the 35 is under the aft cabin berth. I never had to take it out but it looked like the access was pretty good. I worried more about the 40 gallon holding tank which was not as accessible.

[barnakiel]

There is a bigger sister here, about 40 ft I think.


I had a look. It looks great. Not like new but definitely fine throughout.


I am not sure if these relate. They look alike to me though.


b.