FREEDOM BOAT OWNERS OR INTEREST

Comment

Comment by Douglas Domurat on November 23, 2009 at 8:01am

Hi Lola,

Nice to hear from you. Why and for what purpose are you encouraged to go forward regarding sail trim? I only go forward while sailing occassionally simply for a change of seating environment but not for any functional purpose. Its hot here in Thailand so I'm almost always tucked under the bimini out from the scorching sun and drinking a gatorade. I have a clear plastic sight window in the bimini over the helm so I can get a reasonable view of the main. and if I lean out a bit on the leeward side I can see the lower telltales on the jib. I have nice stern perch seats. As long as the main halyard is high hoisted enough so you get no scuppers, the outhaul is adjusted fairly tight (thats the way I like it) and the boom-vang bringing the boom fairly flat (once again i like to sail with the sail fairly flat with little twist. Normally my winds blow fairly well averaging at 12-16 knots. Just right for an F30. Of course I simply ease the main until you get a bit of luffing near the mast and then snug up a just bit and always watch the yarn streamers along the leach so that they're flying aft nicely. I adhere to the "when in doubt let it out" saying. I think I seem to get better boat speed if I don't tighten everything up so much or oversheet. But I still like a flat main. And of course I'm always trending the boat speed in my head as a habit while I adjust sails just to make sure what I'm doing is improving boatspeed and not reducing it! Make sure the lazy jacks are loose enough to allow no interference with the shape of the main but not so loose that flaking the main on dousing becomes messy. The jib adjustment is not very critical except hard up close-hauled. Its easy to oversheet here too so ease and then sheet back in until you feel a nice constant pressure and the lower and mid level telltales are streaming aft nicely. Dousing the jib I found discovered the use of a downhaul. This was rigged by Al but when I splashed the boat but I took it off as I didn't need it on my F36. But the jib does not fall on its own weight so I pull it down with a line attached to the top cringle and lead down the jib stay to small leads and a block the ends up in the cockpit. I hoist, adjust, and douse all from the cockpit. When I leave the marina under motor I head upwind as soon as practical and set the auto-pilot. I then raise the main and jib which takes maybe 90 seconds total, then I bear away and kill the engine. I then do some house-keepping and straighten up the lines and hang the back pn the hangers except of course the main and jib sheets which I pull back towards the wheel. I do all this from the cockpit. I will normally do a quick set on the auot-pilot if I want to ease the main or jib and then I will walk around the wheel and do a wrap around the winch for adjusting the mainsheet. Same with the jib but the pressure of course is way less. If I have others on board I will give them the helm while I make a quick sail trim adjustment. By the way Freedoms are pretty forgiving and the range of sailing point is pretty broad before you really need to readjust sail trim. I only go forward because I want a different view of life! Is this what you were aiming at?
I sail with friends a lot but in reality I single hand most of the time and only ask their participation if they seem interested in doing something. Sometimes I'll take them forward so they can see the sail shape from a different perspective for conversational purposes and to marvel at the unstayed rig, but an experienced Freedom sailor really doesn't need to.

Cheers,

Doug

Comment by LOLA on January 7, 2009 at 11:46pm

Nice picture below Phil, can you post some more inside and out in the above discussion?.What a beauty.

Comment by LOLA on January 7, 2009 at 10:58pm

Welcome Phil

Comment by LOLA on December 30, 2008 at 11:25am

Well i found out the further south you go the more expense. Just between NC where I live in a house, and to Sc just over the border by minutes....it was drastic...so in Fla the worst.

I think we would enjoy photos of before and after...many show their restorations..

There are some repair and restoration discussions directly above here. There are so many resources on here for ideas.

As you can see I am a beginner, who made the boat into a Condo, now my Condo is becoming a Sailboat and I am learning to sail...I really feel we have the best of Boats.

Comment by LOLA on December 30, 2008 at 11:17am

Welcome Freedom 40...sounds like a good buy and will be a beauty...Congrats

Comment by LOLA on December 12, 2008 at 11:23pm

THE FREEDOM LOGO

Comment by Robert Furborough on November 25, 2008 at 1:02pm

Just posted my first pictures of Magic a 1985 Freedom 32, it is a Hoyt designed boat that has a modified 'sugar-scoop' transom.

Comment by FRED on November 15, 2008 at 11:45am

Many thanks to Lola. Great info to dijest. Thanks again.

Comment by LOLA on November 14, 2008 at 7:25pm

Freedom owners...post photos of your boat here.

Comment by LOLA on November 13, 2008 at 12:20pm

I added more photos on my page to show you why I like my Freedom 30

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• Next ›
• Page