Freedom 30 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Freedom 30 means looking at a Gary Mull-designed, Tillotson-Pearson-built cruiser introduced in 1986 as a follow-up to the Freedom 36, with production of the 30 and its platform-enhanced 32 running to 126 hulls. She is a freestanding-spar boat whose simplicity and durability have kept examples in play across several markets, but the buyer’s task is less about spotting rarity than about reading how each individual was maintained through the known weak points.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Freedom 30 balances a daysailing cockpit with a cruising interior, sleeping four comfortably and five in a pinch. The aft double is serviceable, private, and well-ventilated, while the saloon double drew one complaint of fitting only “one and a half small people.” A stand-up nav station sits by the companionway, and the ice chest holds ice three days in the tropics but is reached by leaning over the stove. Headroom was published as 6 feet 3 inches yet is a bit less, and prior to 1987 interior grabrails were not standard. Nine opening ports and three hatches vent the head and cabin. The cockpit itself is oversized, comfortable, and uncluttered, with cockpit-centered controls.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A chartplotter and autopilot are commonly fitted to boats on the market. A self-tacking jib, dodger, and life raft appear as sometimes-seen or owner upgrades rather than standard equipment, so their presence signals an individual owner’s priorities. The original rig is a tall freestanding carbon-fiber spar with a very large full-batten mainsail and a small jib on a CamberSpar; the Yanmar 2 GM 20F diesel receives great reviews though its box is tighter than average. Refit history worth noting includes retrofit of the Freedom 32 swim platform, PSS Shaft Seals in place of stuffing boxes, and three-bladed props swapped for the standard two-blade.
What to Inspect
Documented issues should anchor any survey. The sink drain empties without a seacock at the waterline, and the shower sump with embedded pump failed within a year or two on most boats. Owner reports note leakage around the head through-hull and some galley opening ports, and the mast retention system deteriorates over time, allowing rotation cured by stiff wedges. Aluminum fuel tanks can develop pin-hole leaks where prop-shaft bolts bear, while the engine stop cable was mounted at 45 degrees and corroded until stood vertical. Gooseneck straps are fragile, and the bilge sump is deeper than average — a useful margin given these paths.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Used Freedom 30s typically appear in the United States, United Kingdom, and Spain. For the buyer, the checklist is straightforward: confirm mast wedge condition and gooseneck straps, verify fuel tank beds and stop-cable orientation, check head and galley ports for past leaks, and inspect the sink drain path. A well-kept example rewards with docile rig handling and a tough, quiet hull.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Freedom 30. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 8 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 1 | $ 13,500 | — |
| Jul 25 | 1 | $ 15,750 | +16.7% |
| Sep 25 | 3 | $ 18,870 | +19.8% |
| Oct 25 | 1 | $ 25,800 | +36.7% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $ 27,500 | +6.6% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $ 16,999 | -38.2% |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $ 25,800 | +51.8% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $ 12,055 | -53.3% |
Where they're listed
Freedom 30 listings appear across 3 countries. United States has the most listings with 5 (62.5%), followed by United Kingdom and Spain.
Country view
8 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $ 25,800 | 5 | 0 | 62.5% |
| United Kingdom | $ 12,055 | 2 | 0 | 25.0% |
| Spain | $ 18,870 | 1 | 0 | 12.5% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
4 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneteau First 30 (Mauric) | 29.36' | $ 32,022 | 41 | 12 |
| CS Yachts 30 | 30' | $ 24,499 | 29 | 9 |
| Judel/Vrolijk J/30 | 29.83' | $ 14,500 | 25 | 14 |
| Freedom 30You are here | — | $ 20,385 | 8 | 0 |