Freedom in a Freeman
Sailor Clive Heathmarsh explains why a Freeman 22ft MKll motor cruiser is his current boat of choice
Ihave always owned sailing yachts because I feel nervous of engines letting me down at sea. Some of my boats had an auxiliary engine but I’ve never trusted them.
However, I appreciate the space that a motorboat gives and every few years hire a 42ft traditional wooden motor cruiser from Martham boat yard on the safer waters of the Broads. Martham maintain the engines, which have never let me down and if they did it would be a simple matter of mooring up to the bank with minimal tides. But, at sea I have always used a sailboat.
In September 2017 I came across a 1968 Freeman 22 MKll, White Dove, for sale at Rye. I had often admired these boats with their rounded, classic looks. In the 1960s you will notice that ships and boats were giving up their sharp contours for smoother lines. My favourite ship, when at sea, was the Beaverash which was one of a series of vessels from Scandinavian builders who were adopting curved profiles. So I bought the Freeman with the assurance from the boat yard that her 4-stroke, 4-cylinder Watermota Tiger engine was reliable and easy to maintain. However, he was an engineer and only had to look at the engine for it to behave. With me it could smell a case a FUD (fear, uncertainty and dread) and would keep me in a constant state of not knowing if I would ever get home again.
A shaky start
It was the end of December before White Dove was ready to launch into the tidal waters of Rye. The rise and fall were many metres and I needed to protect the stern gear by mooring the bow into the bank with the prop and rudder hanging clear of the ground. It was very cold with the decks all iced up and a narrow tidal window to negotiate two low bridges before entering the lock to get into the less challenging non-tidal waters of the Rother. Of course the engine wouldn’t start for me, there was no team of engineering officers as on the old Beaverash and the yard’s engineer had gone away. I had an appointment with the lock keeper (Rye has a serious tidal lock) and it looked like I was going to miss it. At the last minute the yard engineer’s
son came on board, said something to the engine and it fired up immediately. Things would be fine as long as I didn’t turn off the engine.
As I approached the lock, a few miles up river and with a strong following tide I thought I would see how long it would take to stop the boat. She wouldn’t! The long gear stick would not engage reverse and the strong tide pushed me towards the large concrete structure that was the lock. I approached gingerly hoping that the back wash from the lock would slow me down enough to attach a stern line. It did. Inside the lock we were choked with exhaust fumes because I dared not turn the engine off. Barry, the expert lock keeper, provided a smooth ride up and as the gates opened we entered a winter wonderland of frosted plants and wild life. What a difference there is between the tidal and non-tidal sides of the lock.
A few miles later and we reached our mooring. It was now getting dark and was very cold. I turned the engine off and we had some tea. That engine would not start again – until an engineer came on board and gave it a talking to.
Time and no tide
I had thought that non-tidal motor boating would be easier than tidal sailing. But it isn’t – there are just different problems. The first problem is rain. It is not predictable like the tides. The river has a double bank and many boats ride up onto the inner bank when it rains hard and then capsize as the river level is lowered through the lock. Then, in my case at least, there is ignorance of the ways of an old engine. The first problem is just a case of getting the right mooring. The engine takes a little longer and requires getting to like and understand it. Over the course of four months engineers have replaced everything on the outside of the engine and re-wired it. It now starts even for me and makes the most agreeable deep throaty sound.
Probably the most amazing discovery has been the Freeman Owners space on Facebook. I only have to type in a question and will receive instant and first class advice. Then there is Sheridan Marine somewhere on the Thames who will supply any part I have ever wanted within a few days. Many thousands of these boats are still plying our waterways.
The Freeman
Freemans are well built boats and fitted out in a classic way with plenty of wood and varnish. Mine has a cabin with two forward berths, hanging wardrobe, heads compartment, sink, cooker, dinning table with bench seats, lockers and cupboards and a spacious cockpit with a wide bench seat. For me there is full standing headroom throughout. The windscreen lowers to enable the boat to get under low bridges.
I find it much easier to take the grandchildren for trips not having to wait for a suitable tide and weather combination. I still sail on the sea but with my limited (although now improving) engineering skills would not take White Dove and its 50-year-old engine to sea. However, these are lovely old early GRP motorboats and with a little TLC will give much pleasure.
‘I thought non-tidal motor boating would be easier than tidal sailing. But it isn’t – there are just different problems’