Maintenance/Repair Details: Having had to restore our original mast each year at the end of the season, due to its age and ever degrading state, this year restoration work required is finally beyond my capabilities.
As such we have purchased a brand new one from Sheriden Marine and will be installing it on the boat in the spring. The new mast is solid mahogany and weighs considerably more than the old one. All the old fittings have been removed from the original and fitted, including the forward navigation light which was on the wheelhouse roof but now on the mast yardarm as intended.
The original mast, which stood proudly on the boat since 1968, has been given to a fellow Freeman owner who intends to completely replace rotten wood and restore. If this is successful we have told him to install on his Freeman and replace an out of place stainless steel one in situ.
Tuesday 21st February 2023 - Now the weather is improving the new mast has been presented to the mast base on the wheelhouse roof and checked for fitting. The mast is slightly wider than the old one and was a tight fit in the base. Removed, sanded down and re-varnished ready for final fitting.
