Free Spirit
1948, Concordia 33 Sloop
Free Spirit
A fine, easily-handled cruiser, slightly larger than the well-loved Concordia 31s, was Wilder B. Harris's goal—and surely, he succeeded. Harris drew her up for Llewellyn Howland after the 1938 hurricane had destroyed his cutter. But Howland chose Ray Hunt's Concordia Yawl design instead, so the drawings for this boat lay dormant for a decade before Mitty (the boat's original name) was built by Palmer Scott in 1948.
Soon after he bought Free Spirit from Giffy Full in 1982 and after taking care of the boat's immediate needs such as replacing the pine deck with plywood, Dynel and epoxy, WoodenBoat founder Jon Wilson began scheming with Joel White and Brion Rieff how to make her faster and more comfortable.
Jon wanted to try a carbon fiber mast and rod rigging so he and Joel devised the specs and the new rigging package was ordered from Hall Spars and, before stepping, the mast was convincingly faux painted to look like spruce. New sails, set up with Dutchman furling, first came from Hood, with a more recent suit from Vermont Sailing Partners.
To go with this lighter and faster rig, which now included a second headsail running from the masthead to a longer bowsprit, Jon had Brion Rieff strengthen the hull and add to the boat's stability. Free Spirit's cast iron ballast keel along with the supplemental inside lead-pig ballast was replaced by a brandnew outside keel of cast lead—a vast improvement that gave the boat the stiffness to stand up to a big breeze and go faster without reefing.
Brion went on to deal with frames, floor timbers, bottom planking, and fastenings, renewing these pieces where necessary. A new bronze mast step fabrication was also part of the project. Brion splined the topside seams and faired the entire hull, creating a very lovely boat that was stronger, faster, and more durable than she'd ever been.
The interior was completely renewed during this 1994 refit and, with raised panel bulkheads and doors, the joinerwork painted a soft white with varnished trim, and soft green corduroy cushions, the cabin took on a truly classic style. You don't want to leave, once you are in it.
Engine? A Yanmar diesel with only a few hundred hours of running time.
Jon Wilson has kept Free Spirit current with all manner of electronics and has also fitted her with radar. He's been careful never to allow the hull seams to open up, launching early in the season, hauling late, and storing winters inside the WoodenBoat School shop.
You're in for a big surprise with this one! Pure cruiser, and an elderly one at that, you say to yourself when you glance at her all paint, no varnish exterior. Go deeper and you gradually realize that this is a sleeper—a wolf in sheep's clothing.
by Maynard Bray
Asking Price: $80,000
Location: Brooklin, Maine
Hull and Deck Construction
Full keel with keel hung rudder underwater profile.
White cedar planking with glued splines in the seams above the waterline.
African mahogany planking below the waterline
White oak frames, structural members and dead wood
Planking bronze screw fastened/refastened.
Lead ballast keel
White oak deck beams and structural members.
Deck is Bruynzeel plywood decks overlaid with Dynel cloth set in epoxy with painted finish.
White Cedar cabin sides
White oak cabin structural members
Cabin top is Bruynzeel plywood overlaid with Dynel cloth set in epoxy with painted finish.
Color Scheme: Green bottom, Blue boot stripe, White topsides, Dark Green sheer stripe, Dado Brown rubbing strakes
(upper and lower) , cap rails and taff rail, White cabin sides and cockpit, Light Buff decks, cabin top, cockpit seat tops and
bridge deck surface.
Deck Hardware (stern to bow)
Sitka spruce (varnished) boomkin
Bronze stern light
GPS antenna
Bronze ensign staff socket
Harken traveler on bronze bridge
Varnished ash tiller
Bronze dock line chocks
Bronze dock line cleats
Bronze Nicro-Fico solar vents (3ea)
Bronze main sheet cleat
Concordia style bronze stanchions
Coated wire lifelines with gate openings port and starboard
Double life lines forward to gate openings
Bronze bow pulpit with port and starboard navigation lights
Bronze deck fills “Water” port and starboard
Bronze deck fill “Fuel”
Bronze pad eyes (3 per side) port and starboard
Bronze genoa tracks with adjustable cars and blocks on toe rails port and starboard
Bronze spring line docking cleats (2 per side) port and starboard
Samson post
Bronze bow cleats and chocks
Lewmar windlass with foot controls at port bow
Bronze chain pipe at starboard bow
Bronze bow rollers port and starboard on bow pulpit.
Salt water washdown bib at starboard bow.
12-volt power supply for anchor light and search light at starboard bow
Fixed port lights in cabin sides (4 starboard, 3 port)
Bronze opening ports (1 forward cabin, 1 head area)
Bronze bracket for ship’s bell above forward cabin opening port.
Varnished teak opening hatch on cabin top above forward cabin.
12-volt power supply for anchor light on cabin top aft of hatch
Bronze fabrication staysail club traveler (not in use).
Line storage port and starboard of mast
Charlie noble chimney and Airhead exhaust on port cabin op
Varnished teak handrails port and starboard on cabin top.
Interior Layout and Accommodations (aft to forward)
The interior spaces of Free Spirit are nice fitted out with White raised panel bulkheads, interior cabin sides, overheads
and joinery accented by varnished Mahogany trim work, locker fronts, drawers, doors, handrails and dining table and
further accented by dark green cushion color scheme.
Galley Area to Starboard
Bare teak counter top, stainless steel sink basin, well-insulated, under-counter, ice box and storage lockers outboard for
china and glassware.
Stainless steel sink basin with fresh water supplied manually by foot pump.
Ice box equipped with Sea Frost engine driven refrigeration
Additional storage in aft bulkhead upper locker
Natural light provided by fixed port in cabin side
Additional light provided by fixture under deck
Galley Area to Port
Eno gimballed 3-burner propane stove with oven
Bare teak countertop with under-counter dry goods storage space
Storage locker outboard of stove and counter space with ship’s electrical panel aft of this locker
Storage locker for pots and pans under stove.
Additional storage in aft bulkhead upper locker
Natural light provided by fixed port in cabin side
Main Salon Area
Varnished Mahogany drop-leaf table on centerline
Settees port and starboard
Settee seat backs fold outboard making generously sized sleeping berths
Water tanks located under settees
Storage bins (4 each port and starboard) located immediately above seat backs
Book shelves and storage lockers above and outboard
Solid fuel cabin heater at cabin sole level just inboard of port settee against the forward bulkhead
Varnished Mahogany hand rails port and starboard fastened to overhead beams
Lee cloths port and starboard
Natural light provided by fixed ports in cabin sides port and starboard
Additional lighting supplied by reading lights at aft end of settees, gimballed oil lamps forward and overhead dome lights
Passageway Forward (starboard side)
To starboard of passageway forward are storage lockers and drawers
Chest of drawers aft with locker storage above and outboard.
Hanging locker forward
Natural light provided by fixed port in cabin side
Passageway Forward (port side)
To starboard of the passageway forward is the private head area
Airhead composting toilet
Counter space with stainless steel sink basin.
Fresh water manually supplied to sink basin by foot pump
Storage in lockers under-counter and above / outboard of counter top
Opening port with screen provides natural light and ventilation
Forward Cabin
Sleeping accommodations for two persons in V-berth configuration with V-berth filler for double berth arrangement.
Storage under berths in lockers and drawers
Curtain at passageway provides privacy from main salon
Opening hatch overhead and opening port in cabin front provides for natural ventilation and light
Additional natural lighting provide by fixed ports in cabin sides port and starboard
Brass reading lamps at aft end of berths port and starboard
Storage nets port and starboard
Spars and Rigging
Double spreader, mast head rigged, sloop configuration.
Mast (carbon fiber) and rig designed by Joel White
Hall Spars carbon fiber mast (faux painted to appear as varnished Sitka spruce) with Antal mainsail luff track.
Aluminum air foil upper and lower spreaders (faux painted to appear as varnished Sitka spruce)
Stainless steel rod standing rigging and jumper with stainless steel turnbuckle adjusters
Removable inner forestay with bronze Highfield tensioning lever.
Bronze exterior-mounted chainplates
Sitka spruce boom (varnished)
Sitka spruce staysail club (varnished) not currently in use / stored off boat
Sitka spruce (varnished) boomkin
Sitka spruce (varnished) bow sprit
Forespar whisker pole
Low-stretch yacht braid halyards and sheets
Sails and Canvas
Full Battened Mainsail with Antal cars and slides: Vermont Sailing Partners
Mainsail cover
Roller-Furling Genoa: KJ Leitz Sailmaker
Genoa: Low-Cut
Yankee
Reaching Spinnaker with ATN sleeve / sock
Custom dodger with side hand-holds and elk hide covered aft grab bar
Cockpit cushions
Sail Trim and Handling Equipment
Harken multi-purchase mainsheet blocks and cam cleat
Harken adjustable mainsheet traveler
Barient #22, 2-speed, self-tailing bronze sheet winches (port and starboard in cockpit)
Harken #16, 1-speed, self-tailing bronze halyard winch (starboard on mast)
Merriman #2, 1-speed bronze main topping lift winch (starboard on mast)
Lewmar #8, 1-speed headsail halyard winch (port on mast)
Reefing winch and rope clutch (boom)
Winch handles (6ea)
Antal rope clutch for Genoa halyard (port on mast
Dutchman mainsail flaking system
Harken roller-furling headstay
Bronze genoa tracks and adjustable cars / blocks on toe rails port and starboard
Bronze rod staysail traveler on cabin top (not currently in use)
Electronics and Navigational Equipment
Ritchie bulkhead mounted helm compass (cockpit)
Raymarine multi-function / AWI display (cockpit)
Raymarine AWI wand at masthead
Raymarine Hybrid Touch display for chart plotter and radar (cockpit)
Raymarine Autohelm 2000 control and tiller ram (stored below decks)
Raymarine C120 display for chart plotter and radar (below decks)
Simrad RS35 VHF radio (below decks)
Simrad remote VHF
Weems and Plath ship’s clock (below decks)
Maximum barometer (below decks)
Danforth tell-tale compass (below decks)
Raymarine radome radar antenna (mast)
Auxiliary Propulsion and Fuel
2012, 39 HP, Yanmar diesel, Model 3YM30
Engine Hours: 252.50 (as of June, 2023)
Yanmar ignition panel with tachometer and digital status menu at forward cockpit bulkhead
Single lever control for throttle and transmission starboard side of cockpit
Stainless steel prop shaft
Bronze 3-blade feathering propellor
Fuel Capacity: 30 Gallons
Groco raw water filter / strainer
Racor fuel filter
Electrical Systems
12-Volt DC ship’s systems
Separate battery banks for engine start and lighting
Batteries secured in battery box located under cockpit sole
Battery selector switches for Engine, Lighting and Battery Parallel
Paneltronics DC circuit panel
Battery charging by engine alternator.
Freshwater Systems
70 Gallons of water stored in two talks located under main salon settees port and starboard
Stainless steel sink basins with bronze faucets in galley and head areas
Freshwater supplied to sink basins by manually operated foot pumps.
Sanitation Systems
Airhead composting toilet with solar venting
Ground Tackle Equipment and Systems
Bronze anchor rollers port and starboard either side of bow sprit
Port (primary) ground tackle: Vulcan 12, 27-pound anchor with stainless steel swivel, 40’ of chain and 300’ nylon brait
rode.
Starboard (secondary) ground tackle: Delta, 17 pound anchor with stainless steel swivel, chain and 300’ nylon brait rode
Storm Anchor: 3-piece bronze anchor stored under port berth.
Primary and secondary chain and rodes stored below decks in chain lockers accessible by way of forward cabin.
Primary ground tackle deployed and retrieved by use of Lewmar rode and chain windlass with foot controls at foredeck
area and primary on-off switch in cockpit.
Salt water wash-down fitting at foredeck area. Wash-down hose and nozzle stored in starboard sail locker.
Anchor rode catenary weight and slide system
Anchor buoy and line
Dewatering Equipment
Electric / automatic bilge pump with float switch in main bilge
Whale “Gusher” manually operated high-capacity bilge pump located in port seat locker
Safety Equipment
Navigational Lighting: deck level port, starboard and stern lights, steaming light on mast, masthead tricolor light
Ship’s bell
Manual horn
Kahlenburg horn system with auto control
Search light (handheld)
Search light (mounts on bow sprit)
Radar reflectors: Forward face of mast (1ea), On shrouds above upper spreaders port and starboard (2ea)
Type IV, cushion PFD’s (4ea)
Type I, life jacket PFD’s (4ea)
Emergency boarding ladder
Fire extinguishers (3ea)
Marinetics propane solenoid switch
Additional Equipment
Fenders and dock lines
Lead line
Varnished Mahogany boarding ladder
Ships manuals and operating instructions
Companionway screen
Significant Work
1984: New deck and cockpit arrangement as designed by Joel White and work done by Brooklin Boat Yard with all new
marine plywood decks overlaid with Dynel cloth set in epoxy and painted finish. Cabin sides removed, reworked fitted
with larger ports and reinstalled to work appropriately with new deck. Cockpit completely redesigned and rebuilt in such
a way as to increase the size of the cockpit and add comfort and “usability”
1994: Work performed by Brion Rieff, Boat Builder. New lead ballast keel (replacing iron keel), new bronze mast step
fabricated and installed. Chainplates lengthened. Replaced all below waterline planking with African Mahogany. Above
waterline planking splined
1994: New mast and rig designed by Joel White. New carbon fiber mast and standing rigging by Hall Spars
1994: Installation of gimballed propane stove / oven with proper propane supply system and vented propane tank
storage locker. Work performed by Brion Rieff, Boat Builder.
2012: New engine installation Yanmar diesel, Model 3YM30. Work performed by Brooklin Boat Yard
2014: Installation of Seafrost refrigeration system by Brooklin Boat Yard
2016: Installed Lewmar anchor windlass for primary ground tackle. Work performed by Brooklin Boat Yard
2016: Install ground tackle saltwater wash-down system. Work performed by Brooklin Boat Yard