Freedom 36

Description

The Freedom 36, a sophisticated cat-ketch designed by Gary Mull and Gary Hoyt and built by Tillotson-Pearson (TPI) in Rhode Island from 1984 to 1987, epitomized the Freedom line's ethos of shorthanded elegance with its unstayed dual carbon-fiber masts, self-tending wishbone rigs, and absence of standing rigging, allowing seamless sail adjustments from the cockpit in a seaworthy 36-foot hull that balanced coastal cruising prowess with occasional offshore passages. Measuring 35'11" LOA on a 12'6" beam, with 12,000 lbs displacement (including 4,800 lbs lead ballast in a 5'11" fin keel or 4'6" shoal draft), the balsa-cored fiberglass construction—infused via TPI's pioneering techniques—yields a SA/D ratio of ~17 for steady 6.5–7.5 knot passages in 15 knots breeze, a forgiving helm via the pivoting masts' flexibility, and a Capsize Screening Formula under 2 for blue water confidence, though its moderate beam limits initial stability in beam seas compared to wider contemporaries. The airy interior, boasting 6'4" headroom, accommodates four to six with a spacious U-galley amidships, L-shaped dinette converting to a double, private aft cabin with queen berth and en-suite head, V-berth forward, and a second head—teak accents adding warmth, but watch for bulkhead flex from chainplate-free design. Only about 35 hulls were crafted, making it a rarity;