Freedom 32 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Production ran for four years, ending in 1986. About 90 boats were sold, making the Freedom 32 one of the company’s best-selling early models.

Design and Construction

Tillotson-Pearson Industries (TPI), a strong proponent of balsa-core construction, built the Freedom 32 in Warren, Rhode Island. Both the hull and deck are balsa-cored. One reviewer noted this with characteristic wariness because of the moisture risks associated with such cores, but rated the builder’s attention to detail superb.

TPI was among the first production builders to use vinylester resin in the outer laminate to limit blistering. The Freedom 32 predates the company’s patented SCRIMP resin-infusion method, however, so its fiberglass construction consists mostly of conventional E-glass mat and unidirectional fabrics.

Stout plywood bulkheads, finished with teak veneers, are securely bonded to the hull. The balanced fiberglass rudder turns on a stainless-steel post. Lead ballast sits low enough to permit a fairly deep sump, while the 12-foot, 3-inch beam, carried well aft, gives the hull plenty of initial stability and limits heel.

The tapered carbon-fiber spar is stepped on the keel and was warranted for life to the original owner—small comfort to later buyers. Exterior teak is limited to the handrails and companionway channels, keeping maintenance low.

Rig and Handling

The Freedom 32’s defining feature is its free-standing rig: a round carbon-fiber mast carries a roachy, full-batten 400-square-foot mainsail, paired with a 105-square-foot self-tending Camberspar jib. With no backstay, the main can carry an extra-large roach and serves as the workhorse sail. Single-line slab reefing is standard, and the small headsail doubles as a storm jib.

All sail controls, including those for the spinnaker, run aft to the cockpit. The patented Hoyt Gun Mount uses a swiveling tube on a robust bow pulpit and a yard in place of a pole, allowing a crew to hoist, trim, and douse the spinnaker from the safety of the cockpit.

This is a genuinely easy-handling cruising boat. Tacking is effortless with the self-tending jib and main, and the wide beam relative to the boat’s length makes her fairly stiff. She is at her best when sailed fast off the wind, where it isn’t uncommon to see the knotmeter arc past 7 knots. She can carry full sail in 20-plus knots of breeze.

Under power, the nimble hull allows her to sail in and out of a dock and turn on a nickel. The standard three-cylinder, 22-horsepower Yanmar diesel is reliable and fuel-efficient, though it is on the small side for a 9,000-pound hull. Access is excellent, with the engine tucked beneath the port-side dinette settee.

The catboat heritage does bring some quirks. Like all catboats, the Freedom 32 develops weather helm upwind, although owners note that a bit of helm also helps with self-steering. Practical Sailor found that she requires considerable attention at the helm in most conditions and that tracking isn’t her strong suit. Heaving-to isn’t viable for the cat sloop, though this limitation is shared with most modern fin-keel sloops.

Accommodations

Below, the Freedom 32 has two private double cabins, just over 6 feet of headroom, a comfortable saloon, and a functional, seagoing galley.

The L-shaped galley is to port, forward of a hanging locker. It has a two-burner stove and oven outboard, a large icebox, and two good-sized sinks; pressure hot and cold water was standard. Counter space is tight, although one surveyed boat had a removable panel that fitted over the stovetop.

Opposite the galley is a head with a shower and wet locker. Just forward, a stand-up navigation station provides storage underneath. The aft cabin lies to port beneath the cockpit and is entered from the galley. It includes a hanging locker and storage under the bunk. Placing the engine amidships helped enlarge this cabin and balance the boat’s weight.

Forward, the V-berth is about 6-1/2 feet long. An optional head and basin were offered there but were never popular; this was one optional installation, not necessarily two separate fixtures. In the saloon, the U-shaped dinette to port has a table that folds out to reach the starboard settee or drops to form a double berth. The starboard settee makes the best sea berth and should be fitted with a lee cloth.

Teak-faced plywood bulkheads, an ash ceiling over the hull, and a teak-and-holly sole give the interior a finished feel that one owner credited to New England craftsmen.

Known Issues

The balsa core demands respect. Delamination can follow when through-hull fittings are added or changed, so keeping the core dry is essential, and any deck leak must be addressed without delay.

The carbon-fiber spar should be vetted by a knowledgeable rigger. Freedom built its own spars, and early boats had a few problems. Standing rigging isn’t an age-related concern, but the running rigging, lifeline terminals, and keel bolts warrant inspection.

Owners consistently note that finding enough stowage for long-passage provisions can be difficult. One owner cautioned against the optional V-berth water tank: it adds 350 pounds forward and, when full, can lift the toilet intake clear of the water. A full standard starboard tank can also induce a 3-degree list.

The Verdict

The Freedom 32 is a distinctive cruiser that trades conventional rigging for effortless handling and a roomy, well-finished interior. She has crossed oceans and earned a cult following among open-minded bluewater sailors. Even so, her catboat manners—weather helm, indifferent tracking, and an inability to heave-to—demand an attentive hand.

For a sabbatical or short-handed coastal voyage, the free-standing rig and cockpit-centered controls are real virtues.

Pros