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Consensus Reached on ‘Freedom’ Vessel Type

Latitude Nation — Last week we asked if anyone could tell us what vessel type is Freedom, the abandoned sailboat that was spotted drifting west of San Diego.

Thank you for all your replies! Once again you’ve demonstrated that sailors have a collective mind, and what one doesn’t know, another will.

While some readers mentioned the J/100 signature visible on the sail, the vessel itself did not fit the standard J style. And so the discussion continued…

The most agreed-upon answer was sent in by Skip Allan:

“I helped build this boat in ~1976. One of the two Gemini twins designed by Tom Wylie and built by Wylie Design Group in Alameda. Originally meant to be a SF Bay One Design class . . . but only two were built. Once made the cover of Wooden Boat magazine. Both boats were of late owned by John Sweeney and for sale.”

Skip later corrected himself saying the boat was “Not a Wylie Gemini Twin, but Peterson 30 ex-Scorpion,” with which others concurred.

Abandoned vessel Freedom adrift of San Diego
Freedom, as she was seen from the passing vessel US Flag PASHA HAWAII car carrier Jean Anne. Thanks to Hugh Vanderspek for this piece of information.
© 2020 USCG

In the meantime we also heard from Pillar Point local Kerry Davis who said she had taken the Freedom crew back out to their boat earlier in the day, prior to the abandonment. And yes, she was able to confirm the ‘harsh weather’ saying “it was blowing like stink.” Although Kerry currently spends most of her on-the-water time aboard a commercial fishing boat, she still has fond memories of her favorite way to cross beneath the Golden Gate Bridge — “on my buddy Skipper Peter McCormick’s sailboat, MacPac.”

Sailboat, Macpac
Kerry Davis’s favorite vessel for crossing under the Golden Gate Bridge — Peter McCormick’s MacPac.
© 2020 Kerry Davis

 

3 Comments

  1. PJ 4 years ago

    MacPack appears as though it may be a Cal, but can’t see enough of her to be able to guess which model…

    • Tim Dick 4 years ago

      I agree. Should be easy to identify via it’s CF# on the bow, assuming the registration is current. If it’s not, they are in a heap more trouble!

  2. Gail Giacomini 4 years ago

    Was it due to weather conditions this observed derelict was not scuttled or towed?

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