And So to Lincoln

Chris and Lisa Staite,
Larnaca Marina, Cyprus.

Mal & Val Jones

After spending the night a Torksey we then set off  along the Fosdyke Canal and after calling at Saxilby for a Fish and Chip lunch, cruised down to Lincoln. We spent the rest of the day visiting the Castle and the Cathedral and shopping in the host of interesting shops which seem to abound in Lincoln. We were moored on the Visitors Moorings at Brayford Pool and after a couple of drinks in the Witham Tavern we returned to the boats and spent our time until the early hours drinking and 'yarning' with the sound of  boy racers, with screaming tyres, racing their cars around the Multi-Story Car Park adjacent to our moorings.

The next morning, after our usual trip to Littlewoods for our 'Big Nine' breakfast, we all climbed aboard 'Aurora' and crossed Brayford Pool to Lincoln Marina as they needed to top up with fuel before carrying on towards Boston. As we approached the diesel berth, we noticed a large cruiser was blocking the pontoon so we asked a lady on board if we could moor off them so Malcolm could get someone to refuel 'Aurora'. She said it was OK, so we put fenders down and tied off and Malcolm went in search of someone to refuel 'Aurora'.

We were passing the time of day chatting to the lady when the Skipper of the large cruiser, a short, skinny man with a deformed spine, and wearing a Skippers hat arrived back. He greeted us with, "Get that ******* thing away from my boat". We tried to explain the situation, that we couldn't get on the diesel pontoon as he was blocking it with his boat and that the lady had given us permission to raft off them. His reply was, "I told you, get that ******* thing away from me". We replied that we would move as soon as Malcolm arrived back. To this he shouted that he would move it with the boat hook if we didn't get away from his boat. A red mist crossed my eyes and I told the man that if he hadn't moored up in such a stupid place, we wouldn't have needed to go near his boat and then informed him that if he touched 'Aurora' he would be going for a swim with my foot on his head for ballast.

At that moment Malcolm arrived back, walking across the large cruiser to get back to 'Aurora'. When the man saw him, he screamed at Malcolm, "Get off my boat", and his face went so red, I thought he would have a heart attack. Malcolm tried to explain but the man manhandled him trying to push him off the boat. If the situation hadn't been so serious it would have been funny watching a man weighing about 7 stone wet through trying to move a man of about 18 stone off his boat.

As Malcolm climbed back on 'Aurora', the little man started both engines on his boat, revving them up so high that we could hardly see for the smoke and we were choking on the diesel fumes. Malcolm tried to start 'Aurora' but a lead came off the ignition switch and he tried to push the fitting back on with the end of a spoon. By now the large cruiser had cast off and was pushing us towards moored boats beside us. As we rushed to one side to fend off the other boats, Malcolm finally lost his temper and tried to stab the inflatable dinghy hanging from the davits of the cruiser. The only problem was that he was using the spoon instead of a knife. Luckily we managed to keep 'Aurora' off the other boats but in the process the large cruiser scraped down one side but did more damage to himself than to us. He then shot back in reverse, almost catching the boats belonging to the Sea Scouts and then gunned both engines, creating a tidal wave which rocked all the moored craft and he left Brayford Pool screaming at the top of the boat at the poor lady who had allowed us to moor in the first place.

So we were a slightly unhappy band as we set off towards Boston, but the thought of Malcolm stabbing the dinghy with a spoon soon brought a smile back to our faces. We thought that things could only improve from then on, but we still had an adventure or two before we finally finished our trip

First of all a guide from Brayford Pool to Stamp End Lock. The first thing you need to think about as you leave Brayford Pool and join the River Whitham is the amount of air draft under the road bridge. This is followed shortly by 'The Glory Hole', or 'High Bridge' to give it it's correct name, which also needs care as the profile of the arch and the pipework half way through needs to be taken into consideration. Having said that, over the years I have been amazed at the size of some of the craft that have negotiated their way through. There's actually a restaurant which looks down from the Bridge so it might be worth your while when visiting Lincoln to treat yourself to light refreshment there. I don't think there are many boaters who have been through the bridge who hasn't got a photograph or two of the experience. In fact, we make a point of photographing our boating friends as they follow us through and emerge from under the bridge.

Once through the bridge you travel on with shops and rest areas flanking both sides of the waterway and in the season literally hundreds of people watch as you pass with many feeding the huge amount of swans which congregate in the area. Trip boats also operate in this area so take care when travelling on this stretch.

Just a few minutes later you arrive at Stamp End Lock. This in itself is a rare experience as it is a Guillotine Lock.A large electrically operated shutter is lifted up and water rushes in from beneath it to fill the lock. As you enter the lock from topside, and if you have an open cockpit, you get a shower from dripping water as you pass under the shutter. The bottom gates are conventional, but a point to remember is that if you are coming from downstream there are electrical sensors on these gates and unless the paddles are completely down and the gates are completely closed the 'guillotine plate' wont lift to allow the lock to fill.

Anyway, back to the story. We carried on towards Bardney Lock and for most of the way there are high hedges and trees to starboard. We had been travelling for abouut half an hour when suddenly over the bushes and trees came two very low flying Chinook helicopters. With the sound of 'La Quentas' engines I hadn't heard them, but believe me, I certainly heard them when they came into view. I almost fell off my seat and screamed at the top of my voice which after the initial shock, Susan found very amusing.

We arrived at Bardney Lock after helping a yacht, under power and heading upstream, which had got out of the channel and was stuck in mud on the straight stretch between Bardney Lock and the Pumping Station. The owner seemed to have plenty of advise on how I should be doing the operation, which made me wish I hadn't offered assistance in the first place.We in turn advised him to keep to the centre of the channel and set off again towards the lock. Looking back we saw he had gone into the bank again and was once again stuck. We thought he must be a 'serial grounder' and left him for the next poor boater to offer assistance.

We stopped and had lunch and a nice shower and then carried on through the lock, up past Bardney Moorings, to the 'White Horse' moorings at Dunston Fen. There are pontoon moorings there now, but when we first visited you had to push you're bows into the bank and drop your anchor or a mud weight to your aft to secure the back end. A few years ago there were also pontoons on the Southrey bank but these have been removed.

We had moored at the 'White Horse' several times before so we knew we would get a warm welcome from Barry, the owner, and his family, so that evening we had a lovely meal, several drinks and several games of bar skittles before meandering our way back to the boats for a good nights sleep.

I've owned my Freeman 22 Mk 2 since 1978; we've done 3 channel crossings - 1980,1981 and 1995 and she's now based in Briare in France. Mooring fees here are high for the French canals at about £200 a year (!) I have kept her at Roanne further south where the fees are £70 a year - pontoon berth, water, electricity, showers, toilets all included; it's a different world!

"Trillium" spent many years cruising the Thames, being based at Walton, Richmond, Hampton on Garricks Ait and at Bossoms in Oxford before the advent of the ridiculous so-called "Boat Safety Scheme" sent me back to France. Apart from anything else, I'm very attached to my Goodridge braided steel armoured fuel line and very unwilling to change it to a bit of rubber pipe!

After extensive modifications - New gas bottle container to take big French type gas bottles, twin fuel tanks by converting the original stainless water tank to take petrol and fitting a new 20 gallon flexy tank under the stbd forward berth, a sea toilet like all the commercial French barges have - Illegal, but "discreet overboard discharge is tolerated" to quote the regulations - also the gas fridge is back in operation now I'm off the Thames (and never a problem in 20 odd years of ownership) and I've got a splendid little 12v portable freezer for ice cream and ice for the cocktail hour! All in all, she's a brilliant little cruiser for one or two on the French canals; the twin tanks give me Paris and back from Briare. I've been spending a couple of weeks a year with her in Paris, at the Arsenal marina - about £8 a night including electricity, water, showers, toilets... a bargain!

Back in 1993 I did a major refit, including stripping off the gelcoat and the first layer of scrim cloth with a hot air gun, scraper and pliers - this took 40 odd hours over 4 days! Then followed months in the shed whilst all the moisture dried out. As a tip, the hull contains internal reinforcement formed over half round aluminium sections, and these had filled up with water and required drilling holes through the hull to drain them. Bet the commercial Osmosis treaters don't know THAT! I also resprayed the hull- BMC Arum White is the best colour match - and replaced the underwater surfaces with Wests epoxy and glass cloth. Wests were very helpful and gave me trade discount. Not a job I'd want to do again! At the same time I replaced the wooden rubbing strakes with new mahogany, laminating the bow sections in situ, and machine stripping the chrome from the fittings before polishing and lacquering the resulting shiny brass and bronze. Freemans were very clever in ensuring that all underwater metal parts were bronze; as there are no dissimilar metals, no electrochemical action takes place and no anodes are needed; Trilliums propeller and stern gear were perfect after 24 years! Great boats these!

Stories to tell... dipping the pulpit rail into the sea off North Foreland; glassfibre repairs after a peniche tore out the stbd. davit;replacing the coil after an engine failure off Whitstable, then rescuing a fishing boat with a blown up diesel;landfall at Calais, smack on the nose after a dead reckoning channel crossing in fog, a true triumph of the navigators art; the engine lunching the distributor drive at Briennon on the Canal de Roanne, when i was rescued by a friend bringing out spares in a borrowed helicopter(resulting in infamy for Trillium); landing fees and 3 days parking for a Gazelle helicopter at Roanne airport -10 Francs! Also many weeks and miles of Glorious unfettered cruising through wonderful scenery, all the locks either manned or automatic, friendly people - even the anglers give you a cheery wave and a "Bonjour", you 'd never see THAT in England!

Trillium is (I hope) resting tranquilly at her moorings in Briare, waiting for next Spring and a New Hood and some more varnish. About the only mod. con. she lacks at the moment is a generator, but since mains electricity is pretty universal ar French canal moorings - and often FREE! - this is pretty low priority.

The French waterways are great, but must be approached with caution and common sense, mixing it with giant petrochemical barge pusher convoys on the northern canals and especially the Seine is an eye-opener after the Thames. More so when you're in a 22' GRP eggshell! Most of the batelier are pretty sympa, though and I've found them very helpful, quite happy to have a small British parasite attach itself to them in locks or when moored. Most of the peniches on the canals travel very slowly, and a polite enquiry on channel 10 vhf as to the possibility of overtaking usually elicits the response "Which side?"

Sadly, the hotel barges - which are mostly British and full of rich Americans - are the exception, being excresences unwilling to deviate themselves to help others and make the night hideous with their 24 hours-a-day diesel generator sets. They are best avoided where possiible. Sundays are good days for the Seine, little or no commercial traffic so you get through the locks much quicker. The vhf helps here, too - if they know you're coming they sometimes hold the lock until you arrive.

Many of the more remote or frequent locks are automatic nowadays, and I really love these. Your boat is detected on its approach by either infra red lightbeams across the canal, or a doppler radar system. Then the lock sets itself and the gates open; in you go, lift the green rod and the lock starts to work, gates close, lock fills or empties, gates open and off you go. There is so little turbulence that, as long as I'm alone in the lock(a very common circumstance) I don't even bother to tie up or hold on, even going uphill I just lie as far away from the top gates as possible and DO NOTHING. My theory is, if you're working at it, you'rer doing it wrong! I budget £300 a week for my 8 weeks in France, including return rail travel, moorings and all boat expenses and frequent visits to excellent restaurants. I always seem to have money left over afterwards, which has tended to demand a bottle of champagne for my usual going-home lunch in Paris between trains. Trillium is, without doubt, the best £3500 I ever spent!

Further news from Cyprus.
Like double decker buses they only come along in groups, yes Freeman Cruisers in Cyprus latest count is THREE .
Two in Larnaca Marina,
Elena- Freeman 22 Mk 2 Diesel 3 cylinder Westerbeke conversion,
Swn Yr Avon Freeman 23++ twin diesels,(*** See Below***)
and now a third not yet seen by me but probably Freeman 22 Mk 1 kept in Larnaca Fishing Shelter and owned by a local lad who's ambitions to convert it to a fast boat -we hope to disuade.
Since my last note we have taken Elena out on several short trips to get the feel of her, I can now steer a fairly straight course with a following wind and mooring on a finger jetty no longer worries me. Even did it the dark last night. The mast head light definitely has to go higher, its a bit like looking into a headlight whilst navigating around big lumps of wood, glassfibre and steel.
Elena has now got a swim platform and ladder on order, she has also had a few bits removed, varnished and screwed back with new brass screws.
On going through the many lockers I have turfed out two Lock Keys, and several spiked metal thingies which are probably used to tie up to a towpath. I wont throw them away, but they are taking up space and I think the nearest canal is probably Suez.
We urgently need to fit a decent fridge in order to spend time away from the Marina, a cold box will just not do after 12 hours, even stuffed with ice cold bits blue things annd frozen water bottles Do any fans have advice on fitting a 12 volt fridge.
I also need some help sorting a prop that will optimise the Westerbeke 30B performance, I have a more coarse pitch prop in the bow locker, but this apparently pulls the revs down and can be a bit too torquey when manouvering.
I am still trying to find out some more of her history, she has been in Cyprus for over 12 years with her former owner who brought her from England. Some of the seat box lids have 57 pencilled on them, perhaps this may be significant.
Apparently Elena will handle seas which send most of the modern shinies running back to the marina, she may have been built as a river cruiser but the sea is now her environment.

Please let me tell you about my Freeman 26 named "SWN YR AVON".
I purchased her in 83 with no documentation but the seller told me the following:
Built 1964. Wood superstructure. Twin 6 cyl Ford petrol with Parsons gearboxes.
Only 3 built.

I have searched but found no builders plate.

She was lying on the Great Ouse in Huntingshire. Its a lovely river and as a
Middle East Expatriate had some great holidays on her but couldn't give her
the restoration she deserved due to time and financial restraints
(I also owned a 16M gin palace in Abu Dhabi).

Having decided in 91 to put down roots in Cyprus I decided to bite the
bullet and ship her there (spurred on by the fact that there was already a
Freeman 22 MK 2 in Larnaca Marina). It cost 5000pds door to door to get her
there (I only paid 4000pds for her). Unfortunately one of the super smooth
engines through a con rod and she had to come out of the water and so
started a 13 year period on the hard where she became a caravan with a
pointed end. Many holidays were spent on her and for long periods she was a
home for myself, wife and 2 children. They were great days and we rubbed
shoulders with many round the world sailors who were often wary of this
stink boat owner that lived on the hard until they found out that I had
extensive sailing experience and could hold my own in any nautical
discussion in the marina bar.

Cyprus customs started giving me problems and I tried to sell her (for as
little as 1pd)but the only possible buyers were Cypriots and they wouldnt
touch her because she was not "duty paid". Initial estimates of duty were
more than I had paid for her until a new customs officer was posted to the
marina who gave me a lot of help and got it down to 600pds. That I could
afford with a struggle and SWN YR AVON became a Cyprus boat.

The decision was made to restore her (inside was immaculate but the outside
was run down partly to get a low customs valuation and partly because she
was a mess anyway). Funds were limited but I did manage to re-deck her and
build a half wheelhouse. Unfortunately the superstructure wasn't good enough
to support the varnished finish she originally had but white paint was a
practical alternative for the hot Med climate anyway.

With my wife's support the unattainable was obtained - two new lister
diesels were purchased from a local supplier. I did the entire installation
and rewired her while I was at it. My wife also talked me into having the
hull resprayed (she was still sporting the tired original Freeman gel
coat{the boat not the wife}).

Now comes my ONLY critism of the entire boat. The shaft log is only long
enough to fit one hose clip. As she is now a seagoing Freeman two clips are
essential for my peace of mind. To maintain my peace of mind I am fitting
two big auto bilge pumps in the engine bilges to supplement the original
Freeman pumps which are still working ok 40 years later!

She was launched SEPT 2004 and has been trouble free since then. She is a
superb boat for a couple, with room for occasional guests. She is the
optimum size for a two person boat. Big enough to be comfortable yet small
enough to have a small mooring fee. She performs well at sea and has been
tested in rough conditions. She has a character that draws people to her
(could be the owners as well) and is often the marina party boat. She has
hosted many a marina P up.

Modifications from the original spec:
Pressurized water supply with hot water supplied by a Paloma gas geyser purchased second hand in 1984. WC compartment converted into a shower about 1984.
Galley re-fitted with a second hand ex caravan gas cooker
(make escapes me at the moment) in 1984, to replace original Freeman fitted unit. New one! has double burner, grill and superb oven and still looks like new. 12v TV fitted into the wardrobe (not much demand for hanging up suits in Cyprus). Original cabin lights were retained but not used as wires extended to new fluorescents throughout. Half wheelhouse shelter with canvas hood. I am a great believer of these as nights at sea even in the Med summer are cold and of course in winter at sea an essential item. 12V fridge fitted under the pilot seat
(a gift from an ocean going yacht). Bathing platform (constructed from the ss rails of a discarded exercise machine) with a shower (salt water is not allowed in the cockpit of our pride and joy). And last, a music system (MP3) to beat all
music systems with speakers in the cabin and cockpit.

Next re-fit: new keel bolts
Planned work: Just keep her looking good as we are proud owners of this
Freeman 26 whilst enjoying her to full in the Med with a 12 month sailing
season.

Future Plans:
Sail from Cyprus to Greece Rhodes) for a holiday. 48 hours in the middle of
the ogin, has anybody done it before in a Freeman 26?

I am a member of the Freeman Owners Club and please feel free to publish
this letter.
The foto attached shows our boat at sea in the Med some 40 years since she
was built which I think is a credit to the people that built her and I am
sure that with her new engines (Lister) she will still be giving someone
pleasure 80 years after she was built.

I hope from this letter you will gather that we love our boat, she is a
classic, but she has no value because we will never sell her!

I would be pleased to hear from you regarding any topic related to any of
the Freeman boats.

Chris and Lisa Staite, Larnaca Marina, Cyprus.

Last summer, well early summer, colleagues of the other half were looking to hire a boat for a weeks cruising on the Warwickshire Avon
Plenty of girders were found but at £800 plus a week a tadge bit costly for two.. The wife told them that she would ask me to see if there were any cruisers for hire on the river.
After much searching and phoning of contacts up and down the river the answer was no.
I had however found a couple of cruisers for sale on the river at a reasonable price,, rare at this time of year, so I thought I would wander out and have a look. The first was a Norman 23 with an out board. Being a Freeman 23 owner I did not know what to expect. When we went to see her she was in a sorry state. The doors on the cupboards were hanging off there was bits missing from the cabin top and the engine did not start. They wanted £3000 for her so I thought a fair price would be £2200 cash with the bits that needed doing. They would not take my offer and she is still for sale now.
The next was down stream of our moorings. The boat is a 22, I was told but dont know what make she is. Make me an appointment to go and view I said. One phone call later and I was on my way. 25 minutes later I was at the marina. Ive come to see the 22 for sale. Shes over there. To my surprise she was a very sad looking Mk 1 Freeman 22. But she looked all there. Can I go aboard I asked? Heres the keys, She should start. On board I found the although the outside was tatty the inside had all been done out. And very nicely to. Engine started OK but sounded different to my ford lump. On inspection she is fitted with a BMC lump. The owner of the marina came over and asked if I wanted to take her out. So after a 40 return trip we were ready to haggle. The owners were after £3000, a fair price but in the end I got her for £2500. I phoned the other half to let her know what we had bought for her friends to have their holiday on. What year is she, she asked dont know was the reply early 60s I think as she is a Mk 1 needs a bit of work to the decks so get your old clobber out.
We then set about getting her back to the moorings at Wyre Piddle, with the help of the couple who were going to take her out we arrived at the moorings after a nice trouble free 3 hour cruise and three locks to boot. The next stage was to rub down, paint and polish and rename all in a two week period. When the paper work arrived I found out that I had bought one of the first 22s. She was first commissioned in 1957. I have not found out any moor info on her as yet. But she is in very good nick for her age sound and free from the dreaded O. The couple had her on the river for 7 days with no problems went up to Stratford upon Avon and back and used just £12.50 of petrol.
This season we will be doing a bit more work on her and on our other boat a Freeman 23 (1973) Valnmal 238. The mark 1 Lady Val will be joining Valnmal 238 on the 2006 Avon Classic Boat Rally held at Evesham on June 10th. See you there.