Freeman Cruisers

plumbob said:
Having been to Southampton on Saturday, how poor the quality of the interior joinery on most of the new craft there in comparison to our old Freeman(Lady Vanessa). I believe Freeman was the first company to use polyurethane varnish in volume production. thats the reason they look so good , especially the 24 and up.
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I know what you mean about joinery on new craft, I think Sealine must have sub contracted their interiors to IKEA! Even my current boat, whilst not bad, is no where near Freeman standards. Have got a few more horses though.

Any way sitting in Weymouth harbour at present. A long way from the Thames and the other River Wey!
 
Fire99 said:
I can categorically and 100% definitely tell you...... I had no idea either. :D

The Gin holder is a great little oddity. It adds a bit of cool strangeness to the mix.
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I believe that the gin holder holds the favourite tipple of Mr Freeman himself.
(Just cannot remember the name !).
 
Freeman made a few really nice looking boats for sure!

But then, so did Seamaster, surely the cream of the crop at the time for rakish good looks, at least by Thames GRP standards*


*Thats to prevent all you Bates owners from flaming me...
 
Freemans

We have a Seamaster 813, comparing it with our friends Freeman 27 I think the Freeman wins on just being that bit more beamy, which gives the boat a better "feel". I think both types though were well built and put together. Just wish we Seamaster owners had a devoted chandler like Sheridan,a great toy shop!
 
dmst said:
We have a Seamaster 813, comparing it with our friends Freeman 27 I think the Freeman wins on just being that bit more beamy, which gives the boat a better "feel". I think both types though were well built and put together. Just wish we Seamaster owners had a devoted chandler like Sheridan,a great toy shop!
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The main problem the Freemans have is a love of Osmosis, if the hulls were as well built as the Seamasters I would have a 32 mk2.

Have you found http://www.seamasterclub.org/ ?
 
Yes I know the Seamaster web site well. I was also on the Seamaster Club committee for a while. I think both boats obviously have their strengths and weakness. I love our 813 and have done a lot of work on her, but it does not stop me admiring Freemans. There is a beautifully restored Mk2 up near Abingdon I think, dark blue hull and cream top, superb. Maybe I will get drummed out of the Seamaster Club for uttering such heresy!
 
macnorton said:
The main problem the Freemans have is a love of Osmosis, if the hulls were as well built as the Seamasters I would have a 32 mk2.

Have you found http://www.seamasterclub.org/ ?
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A few years ago, we nearly bought one from Thames and Kennet marina, I think the name was 'Spice' or similar.

As you say, a very solid looking thing, loads of lovely shiny wood, and black matte surfaces, although would be better for an upper helm!

The rear berths looked pretty good, although I understand a whacking great Thorneycroft Diesel resided under each one! No sleep during cruises then!
 
dmst said:
We have a Seamaster 813, comparing it with our friends Freeman 27 I think the Freeman wins on just being that bit more beamy, which gives the boat a better "feel". I think both types though were well built and put together. Just wish we Seamaster owners had a devoted chandler like Sheridan,a great toy shop!
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Having just broken one of the hatch covers on my 27, I have to agree with you.
 
I have just

Geoffs said:
I know what you mean about joinery on new craft, I think Sealine must have sub contracted their interiors to IKEA! Even my current boat, whilst not bad, is no where near Freeman standards. Have got a few more horses though.

Any way sitting in Weymouth harbour at present. A long way from the Thames and the other River Wey!
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Returned from Monaco Yacht Show (work) and had a press conference on a 14 million Euro yacht from an Italian yard...

The bulkheads were painted grey, the wardrobes had rough finished wood with grey paint still dripping on the floor....
 
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I shall show you

teddington_lock said:
Hideous .

Looks like a U boat.
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the pix, you would not believe it...honest to God it was the worse finished yacht i have ever been on!

Engines 13.8 million

the rest .2 if you are lucky...

Even the coffee was rank...

And it had a water feature..great in a flat calm, bad if in anything else as it was at the bottom of the accommodation stairs..
 
Had a 27 fourteen or so years ago, it was our first boat and it was excellent. The widest beam that will fit on the Great Ouse, we did the length of the river five or six times in the four years or so that we owned it.

As others have said, the finish on the interior joinery was excellent and not a scratch on the varnish. It had originally been a hire boat but the chap we bought it from had had it for years and spent hours maintaining it. He was so keen that I should buy it 'cos he appreciated that I'd look after it, he dropped the price by a third just so that I could afford it. Mind you his wife wasn't too pleased. He'd had a higher offer from a hire company that wanted to take it to the Shannon and put it to work, but he didn't want to see her abused again so let me have it as a bargain.

We had the hull professionally re-painted and a new canopy fitted and she looked superb. I'd buy it back tomorrow. Cool Jazz we named her.
 
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