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Knighty
United Kingdom
654 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Aug 2013 : 20:26:24
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Having another think about a bigger boat. Have had our 20 for just over three years and loved every minute of her, spent a small wallet emptying fortune to get her spot but fancy a new challenge.
Have always admired the finish on the few Freemans we have been on and the chap who moors along side me recently bought a 23 and it's hard to believe it's only 3ft long than mine and slightly wider but it's the full headroom and interior woodwork which has sold me towards one.
I have found out he is selling her on due to him having knee operations and is packing in boating for a year or so. Big but is that on the survey he had done prior to buying it only a few months ago it threw up that the hull had a severe osmosis issue which he haggled about 3 grand off the price but all he did was antifoul the hull then relaunched it. He says osmosis is not an issue, should i run a mile from this boat and look elsewhere ?
Local marina has a Freeman 28 which i am led to believe is quite rare not many made, lovely boat but think it's too big a step up at this point.
Any advice welcome
Rich |
Edited by - Knighty on 27 Aug 2013 20:28:59 |
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Deano
United Kingdom
1843 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2013 : 20:41:47
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Most if not all Freemans have osmosis to some degree......... it all depends on what is considered bad.
Most surveyors will describe a 40 year old Freeman as having bad osmosis, when in reality, it is only a cluster of 10p sized blisters. Sod the survey..... have a look yourself..... if they are small but widespred, don't worry about them..... If they are the size of dinner plates and hanging off the bottom..... walk away.
With a boat only worth perhaps £5K, it is totally uneconomical to treat it other than DIY, Yes it will get worse in the next 10 years, but it will not affect your use and enjoyment of the boat. Best thing to do is winter it ashore, they will probably all shrink back by spring!!!!
These boats are as tough as old boots, the hulls are thick and strong.
Popular hearsay has it that there were only 61 Freeman 28's ever made. Nice spacious river boat, the first boat designed of that style.... then the rest of the world followed......
I am a bit of a Freeman nut, email me if you want further info....... dean(dot)rayner(at)gmail(dot)com Replace the brackets with the obvious.
have a look at http://freemanboats.forumer.com/index.php
Dean - Boating on the Great Ouse.
Freeman 32 "Liberty"
See the photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/54758027@N00/ |
Edited by - Deano on 27 Aug 2013 20:49:31 |
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Knighty
United Kingdom
654 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2013 : 22:20:59
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| Cheers Deano, email sent. |
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ken cattell
United Kingdom
192 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 09:23:46
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| Go for it Knighty! I sold Gladys-May my 20 ft. Conquest,(yep after 2 years of rebuilding), whilst on holiday. In the 2 weeks since I've bought my Freeman22 Mk2 got it running (pre-cross flow Ford Watermoto enginge, points, distributor, dynamo etc stuff I can understand not a computer or cdi unit in sight!), cleaned it inside and out (it was sitting on a mooring untouched for 7 years). Got it back to Inglesham and I'm loving it. I sit on the back under the hood way into the evening thinking not so much a boat more of a floating one bedroom appartment! The qualitiy of the bulid and woodwork is superb. I have a few tiny patches of osmosis under the handrails to deal with and 40 years of dodgy wiring adaptions but I'm totally chuffed that I bit the bullet and bought this when it came up. The chap who bought G-M phoned me saying how pleased he was with the boat having cruised it back to Reading over 3 days. So everyones was a winner in that deal. Good Luck. |
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Knighty
United Kingdom
654 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2013 : 15:38:53
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Hi Ken, god you got a quick sale.
Sort of made my mind up now as fed up of wife avoiding sleeping on the boat especially with the head room. As you say so much more room for only a couple of feet longer, sort of been spoilt with our 20 as found a good one and upgraded from there having it on my drive for 6 months a year so anything bigger will be marina based, so on the look out for something that doesn't want too much work and close by...hopefully.
Might be a tall order now they are as you say 40 odd years old, in no hurry as poss got a buyer for mine at a good price.
Local marina want to put it on brokerage at a stupidly high price but don't want to end up dropping price and paying their fee's.
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tigtog
United Kingdom
421 Posts |
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Sonny
United Kingdom
191 Posts |
Posted - 30 Aug 2013 : 13:12:48
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I noticed Jones boatyard in st ives has a couple for sale at good prices.
worth a look. |
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merlin
United Kingdom
400 Posts |
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Deano
United Kingdom
1843 Posts |
Posted - 30 Aug 2013 : 20:43:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Sonny
I noticed Jones boatyard in st ives has a couple for sale at good prices.
worth a look.
If they are the ones that have been there all summer, they are not worth the asking prices... for that money, you can get a better boat!
Dean - Boating on the Great Ouse.
Freeman 32 "Liberty"
See the photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/54758027@N00/ |
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consumedbynature
United Kingdom
108 Posts |
Posted - 01 Sep 2013 : 22:19:00
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Knighty. There's a Freeman 23 for sale at my marina - Wyre Boat Yard, Mill Lane, Wyre Piddle. It needs a bit of cosmetic but the hull appears in good condition. I think it's about 6k.
Regards Billy
Shetland Black Prince -Fizzy - Worcestershire Avon
(Formerly owned a Norman 20) |
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consumedbynature
United Kingdom
108 Posts |
Posted - 02 Sep 2013 : 21:32:23
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Scrub my last Knighty. Just found out today the Marina owner has bought that Freeman. There is another freeman 23 for sale in Wyre Piddle called Charlie girl. The present owner had had it two years at most and the previous owner was the Marine engineer from our marina so it should be in good nick inside and out
Shetland Black Prince -Fizzy - Worcestershire Avon
(Formerly owned a Norman 20) |
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Knighty
United Kingdom
654 Posts |
Posted - 03 Sep 2013 : 07:46:03
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| Cheers Billy will pop in and have a look but won,t be for a few weeks as away on hols weekend. |
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Freemans
