Freedom 35 Buyer's Guide
Shopping a Freedom 35 on the brokerage market means weighing a David Pedrick-designed unstayed-mast cruiser that Freedom Yachts introduced in 1992, with 85 hulls built and, per the builder, no reported rig failures on the design anchor. The boat's appeal lies in its cockpit-driven simplicity and a structure that avoids the chainplate maintenance conventional rigs demand.
Layouts on the Used Market
The 35-foot hull carries beam aft and a reverse transom with a swim-platform scoop and ladder, and the cockpit measures 7 feet 3 inches by 5 feet 9 inches with a T-shaped footwell around the Edson wheel anchor. Below, buyers will find a saloon with cherry and teak, a holly-and-teak sole, and 6 feet 2 inches of headroom, plus an L-shaped galley to port with deep sinks and a Force 10 stove. Full fore and aft cabins each close off with 6 feet 1 inch of standing headroom and 6-foot-7 bunks, and the head to starboard has a separate shower. A port settee that converts to a double berth was offered as an equipment option.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most Freedom 35s today are sold with the optional overlapping headsail package, which adds running backstays and primary cockpit winches to oppose the headstay anchor. The standard rig uses a self-tacking Camberspar jib, while a Furlex roller furler and 105 genoa were seen on at least one tested boat. On deck, two Harken two-speed winches sit at the cabin trunk and a Harken traveler handles the main; the carbon spar itself carries a transferable 10-year warranty or lifetime coverage for the original owner. Power comes from a Yanmar 3GM under the port settee, with a shaft angled 5 degrees off centerline to neutralize reverse prop walk.
What to Inspect
The unstayed carbon mast should be checked for warranty status, since the spar carries a 10-year transferable or original-owner lifetime cover and Freedom later shifted spar building to Goetz Marine Technologies, which the builder claimed made a lighter, stiffer stick anchor. Confirm which keel is fitted: the deep fin with whale-tail profile draws 6 feet 6 inches, while the wing keel is 4 feet 6 inches, and a shoal-draft version existed among early hulls anchor. In the galley, verify whether foot pumps for fresh or salt water were added by an owner, as none were standard, and inspect the counter area for the tight workspace two survey respondents noted anchor. Examine the hull-to-deck joint for bonded 3M-5200 and through-bolts on 6-inch centers, and look for the 10-year blister warranty documentation. Check the sail plan balance—early hull #1 lacked a proper mainsheet winch and had a small traveler, so confirm later upgrades if racing is intended anchor.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
- Confirm spar warranty and Goetz versus early carbon build
- Identify keel type and actual draft from hull card
- Test galley function without standard foot pumps
- Inspect hull/deck bond and blister coverage
- Verify winch and traveler sizing for intended use
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Freedom 35. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 1 | $3,000 | — |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
8 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneteau First 35 | 35.17' | $ 68,666 | 52 | 14 |
| Gemini Legacy 35 | 35.33' | $ 173,000 | 46 | 8 |
| Freedom 35 Cat Ketch | 34.75' | $ 57,000 | 39 | 10 |
| Tradewind 35 | 35.01' | $ 61,139 | 21 | 3 |
| Freedom 38 | 37.92' | $ 71,203 | 18 | 7 |
| Freedom Yachts 30 | 29.97' | $ 25,400 | 14 | 6 |
| X-Yachts X-35 | 34.81' | $ 102,353 | 10 | 5 |
| Tillotson-Pearson 36 | 36.42' | $ 42,500 | 10 | 3 |