Design and Construction
The Freeward 25 is a solid fibreglass yacht displacing 4.5 tonnes, of which two tonnes sits as ballast in the keel — a 45 percent ballast ratio that explains much of her steadiness. At 7.69 metres overall with a 6.40 metre waterline and 2.85 metre beam, she draws 1.13 metres. The hull is GRP solid construction, and the interior is finished in solid teak and teak-veneered plywood. What sets the deck plan apart is the forecastle deck, which creates a large foredeck area, paired with a high bulwark concealing a huge superstructure. The 25 is the only member of the Fisher family to carry a transom rather than a canoe stern, and that choice yields an extremely spacious, self-draining cockpit occupying the full width of the hull behind the wheelhouse anchor. A sliding door gives access from cockpit to wheelhouse interior.
Rig and Handling
Rigged as a mini ketch, the Freeward 25 carries a 9.3 square metre mainsail, a 4.2 square metre mizzen, and a 14.0 square metre genoa. Under power she is fitted with a Yanmar 3 GM diesel of 27 hp, installed under the wheelhouse where the floor can be lifted out in a few steps for access. At 2200 rpm she delivers a solid 5 knots of cruising speed. The inboard steering is disconnected for sailing, after which the boat is handled very directly with a tiller, and she proves very stable on course. Close-winded performance reaches around 50 degrees of true wind.
Accommodations
Below, the cockpit, deckhouse, and cabin form several living spaces. The wheelhouse gives about 1.80 metres of headroom, with the helmsman’s bench to port and a starboard settee that pulls out to widen its surface. The saloon repeats the 1.80 metre headroom and holds a large L-shaped settee berth to port that converts to a double. To starboard sits a dog bunk with a pull-out navigation table above and a refrigerator compartment beneath. A toilet room is positioned on the port side forward of the saloon, opposite a louvred locker; a later facelift by Wyatt and Freeman moved the toilet room from the bow to the centre. The galley is fitted with a sink, a gimballed cooker with oven, drawers, and crockery stowage. Forward, the standard long forecastle lowers, and the spacious foredeck carries very high berths lit by two portholes in the side wall. Tankage is generous at 180 litres each for fresh water and diesel.
Known Issues
Two dated defects affect early boats. On hulls built before 1990 the wheelhouse window frames corrode and begin to leak, requiring replacement. In that same period the Treadmaster deck covering was not yet bonded with epoxy resin, so it shows peeling. No structural problems are known at the critical joints after service life.
Refits and Ownership
The facelift by the original designers relocated the head and refined the interior arrangement without altering the essential volume. The mould’s move to Sri Lanka means a new build remains possible, but the used fleet is dominated by English and later Itchenor-built examples from the 1975–2008 run. The removable wheelhouse floor simplifies engine access, and the solid teak interior has aged as a durable, repairable material.
The Verdict
The Freeward 25 is a genuinely roomy motorised sailing boat whose mini-ketch rig, tiller steering, and stable helm make her manageable, while the transom-and-wheelhouse layout gives cockpit and cabin space well beyond her 25 feet. Early boats need window and deck-cover attention, but the structure itself is sound.
Pros
- Unusual accommodation volume for the length, with wheelhouse, saloon, and foredeck berths
- Stable on course and close-winded to 50 degrees true
- Solid fibreglass hull with no known structural defects
- Self-draining cockpit and removable wheelhouse floor for engine access
Cons
- Pre-1990 window frames corrode and leak
- Treadmaster deck covering on early boats peels where not epoxy-bonded
