Freeman 22 needs a service...

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hembuck

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Where Best to get my old Freeman mk1 a good Service and a few mods? Any recommendations for friendly service and reasonable charges? I would be delighted if you could all share your experiences with me... Thanks in advance. Just arrived at Bray if that helps..
 
hembuck said:
Where Best to get my old Freeman mk1 a good Service and a few mods? Any recommendations for friendly service and reasonable charges? I would be delighted if you could all share your experiences with me... Thanks in advance. Just arrived at Bray if that helps..
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Well you could try Sheridan Marine (http://www.sheridanmarine.com/boatyard/contact), who specialise in Freeman (Freemen?). They are a bit far from Bray, being just above Cleeve, but it would be a good excuse for a cruise for you and they are nice people. I don't have a Freeman, but I have found them very helpful and their chandlery is an Aladdin's cave for boaters. Check their opening hours if you do decide to go.
 
hembuck said:
Where Best to get my old Freeman mk1 a good Service and a few mods? Any recommendations for friendly service and reasonable charges? I would be delighted if you could all share your experiences with me... Thanks in advance. Just arrived at Bray if that helps..
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Got to be Sheridan Marine at Moulsford, in my experience they meet all your criteria. It's 25 years since I had my 22, but in those days they were always brilliant, and could do anything with a Freeman, and always ready to help with DIY.

Google Sheridan Marine and you'll find out all you need.

Good luck with the Freeman, super boats.
 
Endorse replies above. If you haven't been to Sheridan as Freeman owner you should . Not a long drive from Bray.
Why not try yourself they are the most basic of engines, Ford 100e, they don't come much simpler.
 
hembuck said:
Going to call them Tuesday and get her booked in..
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Before doing that, suggest you sit down quietly with a coffee and make a list of all the things that you "think" need doing. Then split the list into things that must be done and things you'd like to do and try and put some costs against each item.

A trip up to Moulsford, particularly if the weather improves, would definitely be a very pleasant way of getting to know your new toy but you need to find out how long the boat will need to stay there for the work to be done and how busy Sheridan are, particularly at this time of year. The Freeman 22 is one of the simplest boats for self maintenance and you will save a small fortune doing stuff yourself. Theres lots of skilled armchair mechanics on this forum, and several who will actually pay a visit - some charging some grace and favour. Can't even begin to calculate how much I've saved over the years by asking questions here.
 
Andrew isn't exactly cheap but no one knows more about Freemans than he does. From thin air he magically produces the most obscure Freeman parts and can be relied upon to give accurate advice. Although a lot more amiable than he was in years gone by he can still on occasion be quite stroppy as per the example given by Steve.
 
Being the Freeman equivalent to Mecca he will be busy this time of year with Freemans all over the place waiting for work to be done and he may be a little behind schedule due to the weather etc. Even though I have long since passed on my Freeman, I still consider Sheridans the best Emporium on the Thames and feel compelled to stop their each time we pass.
 
Your Freeman 22 is a real simple boat, so you should be able to carry out work yourself. Don't forget Terry and Andy, the engineers at Bray are both knowledgable and helpful.
As others have said, ask on here. The forum has a wealth of knowledge.
 
Phill said:
Your Freeman 22 is a real simple boat, so you should be able to carry out work yourself. Don't forget Terry and Andy, the engineers at Bray are both knowledgable and helpful.
As others have said, ask on here. The forum has a wealth of knowledge.
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+1

You don't need special engineers anyway, these old things are really really easy to work on. Well worth a trip to Sheridan, which is an Aladdins cave for Freeman owners, or any classic cruiser come to think of it! It's a pretty good chandlery by Thames standards...
 
Check out the Sheridan website... They sell engine & gearbox manuals for the boats. You can get parts etc mail order, or take a trip up there by car. The engine is almost certainly a Ford.... Really easy to service. If you get a Pela pump you can suck the old oil out via the dipstick tube ( you usually cannot access the sump plug on a boat engine). So you will need an oil filter, air filter, plugs and points to service the engine. You will probably want to replace the impeller on the jabsco pump that pulls water out of the river to cool the engine.

If you do not want to do it DIY speak to Terry the engineer at Bray ASAP as now is a very busy time.

The benefit of doing the work yourself is it will help you become familiar with your boat and it's systems.

Oh, and don't forget to join the Bray Cruiser Club!
 
Ramage said:
If you do not want to do it DIY speak to Terry the engineer at Bray ASAP as now is a very busy time.

The benefit of doing the work yourself is it will help you become familiar with your boat and it's systems.

Oh, and don't forget to join the Bray Cruiser Club!
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And if Terry's busy, Scott, we'd recommend Martin's Mobile Engineering Tel: 07989060643 too.
 
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