Freedom 21

[rdwing73]

I currently only sail board boats and dinghies. I've been looking to upgrade to a daysailer I have a very small budget ( 3-5000) . I've been looking at a Freedom 21 as a possibility. Is this a good choice for mainly sailing around the great lakes and small inland lakes. No real open water sailing. Does anyone have any input as far as problem areas with these boats or things I should consider.

Thank

[treilley]

Too bad you do not live in Maine, I know of a "free" Freedom 21 that needs a main sail.

[rdwing73]

Well for that price I have a truck lol.

[treilley]

Sorry, I never answered your original question.

Only major thing that is tricky is the carbon fiber mast. If it is not any good, you will pay many times the value of this boat for the replacement.

There is lots of info on the net for these boats. Google "Freedom 21 sailboat"

[hkowalczyk]

They are great boats, and lots of fun. check out freedom21 : Freedom 21 Sailboats

or

Freedom 21 Sailboats Home Page

for more info.

The mast usually has "cracks" in it, but that is most likely just the top cosmetic layer and not a structural issue. The other issue is the gooseneck, if you let the boom out too far you can damage it. Mine was lose, but it was an easy fix, just replace 7 pop rivets and it was as good as new.

The biggest issue I have is managing the line clutter in the cockpit, but the first time you are flying under the spinnaker you will forget all about that and just have a big smile on your face!

[richard_reinhart]

I previously owned hull #155, purchased in 1983, and kept her for about 7 or 8 years until my brother bought her.

I agree with the prior post's comments, and have a few to add.

Somewhere after hull #100, the boats were built with opening portholes in the cabin instead of fixed portlights. I think that is a worthy upgrade to look for.

The draft was either a longish shoal keel in the mid 2 foot range, or the "deep" fin of around 3'9". If you can live with the depth, the deeper keel is faster.

Upwind in light air the boat is a bit sluggish. The optional "staysail", basically a small jib, improves performance significantly.

The spinnaker kit was optional, and is loads of fun. All spinnaker controls run to the cockpit, so one person can do it all.

I had a little trouble once with the mast track coming loose near the gooseneck. I drilled out the rivets and put some new ones in. Other than that, the boat was never any trouble.

[rdwing73]

Thank you everyone for the good information. I'll be keeping my eye out for a good boat then hopefully to purchase within the next 12 months.