GALLEY: Force 10 - 2 burner propane stove with oven and broiler; 6 cu. ft. ice box and Super Cold Machine fridge/freezer; 11 gal hot water tank; pressure water system; Kenmore microwave oven and Magnum propane BBQ.

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT: 8 - 6V Batteries in 4 banks of 2 providing 12V power in 880 amp/hrs, plus 1-12V battery for engine start (all batteries new in late 1999); 165 amp engine driven alternator; Trace 2500 watt -12/110V inverter; 30 amp shore power cord. Navigation, deck, masthead, tricolor and interior lights. 

NAVIGATION & ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT: 
Ritchie compass
Auto-nav Fluxgate compass  '98
Auto-nav autopilot  '98
Icom 710 SSB  '00
Garmin 130 GPS - '98
Standard Horizon VHF radio
Apelco Depthfinder
Signet wind speed
Quartz clock and barometer
Clarion AM/FM stereo with 12CG changer and 4 speakers
GE TV & VCR (new 2000)
Performance computer and chart plotter - 2000

DECK EQUIPMENT: S/S bow and stern pulpits; S/S 3/16X1/19 wire lifelines; 6 dock lines and 7 fenders; teak boarding/swim ladder. 2 Aluminum propane tanks (40 lbs total).  Teak deck boxes on aft deck. 9 Ft fibreglass dinghy stowed on stern davits with 2 hp Honda outboard carried on deck. Ground Tackle: Lighthouse #1501 - 12V/manual anchor windlass, 75 lb Fisherman anchor, 65 lb Danforth with 250 ft of 3/8" HT chain and a 45 lb Max with 50 ft of HT 3/8" chain and 285 ft of 3/4"-3 strand line. Canvas Equipment: bimini, awning, sail covers, hatch covers and wheel cover. Safety equipment: 2 Fire extinguishers; Halogen automatic fire extinguishing system; 30" life ring and 24" horseshoe life ring; horn and bell.

SAILS & RIGGING: Aluminum spars with both mainmast and mizzen stepped on keel; S/S 1X19 standing rigging; Stalok terminals; Lewmar sheet travellers; 2 hydraulic backstays; jiffy reefing on both main and mizzen with Profurl roller furling on genoa and mizzen. Winches are Barient and Goiot. Sails: 1995 Neil Pryde main, main staysail, staysail and foam luff jib (all tan bark and in good condition), plus a 1998 CB Fisherman (new condition).

MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT & ENGINE DETAILS: New Perkins 4-108 diesel engine installed when yacht built, fresh water cooled with Hurth HBW 150 transmission and reduction gear ratio of 2.65:1; 3 bladed propeller; maximum speed of 6 knots with cruising speed at 5 knots using 3/4 gl/hr (2300 engine hrs as of March 2001). 2 Electric bilge pumps. 3 Integral steel fuel tanks and 3 integral painted steel water tanks. Assorted spares.

CONSTRUCTION: Hard chine, staysail schooner rig, full keel, encapsulated steel and lead ballast, center cockpit. Designed by Merritt Walter and built by John Vining in 1995 at Panama City, Florida, USA. All material is mild steel. The keel is 2  " thick throughout and 18" at its widest point. The sides of the lateral plane portion of the keel are 3/8" thick. Bottom plating is 1/4 " thick and topside are 3/16". The deck plating is 10 gauge steel plate. The steel frames are set on 3' - 3" centers and are 4" deep on bottom and 3" deep on topsides. The longitudinal stringers for the decks, etc. are 1/4" thick by 1" wide. All areas that are subject to particular wear on the hull including freeing ports, etc. have a stainless steel layer welded to the steel to absorb anticipated wear and prevent oxidation in these areas. The exterior of the vessel was treated for corrosion prevention (flame spray zinc). The interior surfaces of the hull in the bilge area were treated with coal tar epoxy, and the topsides, down to just below the turn of the bilge have been covered with a hard plastic material to prevent sweating and preserve the inboard steel surfaces. Length on deck is 44'8".

COMMENTS: A survey done in March 2001 noted the following: "Free Spirit" is a character craft. She performs well in windward sailing and the owner reports that she is very seaworthy and behaved well in heavy weather. The quality of craftsmanship throughout this vessel is very impressive and the joiner work is nicely done. She is equipped with the essential required for cruising in relative comfort. As the topsides were last painted just prior to launching in 1995, there is some waterline dirt and smoke stains aft, however the exterior paint has not deteriorated and still shows gloss on topside finish. Also examination of the hull surfaces below the cabin sole show a white enamel surface with no sign of inner hull corrosion. There are however, some areas in the yacht that are not finished: The escape hatches need interior trim installed, and the engine compartment requires a door of some kind to separate it from galley/aft cabin area. Owner reported to be working on these items and other minor maintenance areas.

HISTORY: After launching, "Free Spirit" was sailed from Panama City, FL to Mexico, Belize, up the Rio Dulce in Guatemala and then back to Panama City. Later sailed from Florida to Key West, Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the USVI. Then on down island to Trinidad and the outer islands of Venezuela, eventually returning by way of Grenada to St. Croix, USVI where the vessel is presently moored.