My boat, Trimaran Free Spirit, came to Hawaii in 1972 via the Caribbean and South Pacific. When she was built on the beach behind a house in San Diego in 1968, she was the biggest trimaran in the world. A vessel so legendary, she inspired the brand!
THE STORY
In 1961 Brian Edelstein was a young man who had never sailed. At that time he was married with 3 young children. One day he found himself aboard Arthur Piver’s NIMBLE (a 30’ sailing trimaran design) on San Francisco Bay, towing water-skiers behind in excess of 20 knots. Brian was hooked. Shortly thereafter he decided to build his first tri, a Piver NIMBLE, hull #8. He completed the project in 1963 and set out to become an accomplished tri sailor.
By 1965 Brian decided to move up, purchasing plans to build a 35’ Piver LODESTAR, which he completed in early 1967. Later that year Brian heard about possible charter opportunities in the Caribbean, so he took a trip to explore the possibilities. He decided to return to Southern California, where supplies were plentiful, and build a larger tri for charter. He selected the plans of Australian designer Hedley Nicol for his 45’ VOYAGER design. Brian then set out to find a residence where he could live and build his boat and still have access to the ocean upon completion. He found just such a home with a 1 year lease in Imperial Beach and planned to begin construction in the back yard that summer of 1968.
Brian modified the design stretching it to 48’ primarily by redesigning the bow shear of the three hulls from a short, blunt “Duckbill” configuration to the present long and narrow shears that so beautifully peal the spray in thin layers as she cuts the sea. He completed construction and was painting the rudder as the magnificent tri was being towed from the driveway exactly one year later. That day she was christened “Water Gypsy”. The family moved aboard and began the task of commissioning her with all of the necessary standing and running rigging, sails, and hundreds of miscellaneous deck fittings. Altogether, Brian worked 16 hour days for 18 months to complete the project.
They left for the Caribbean in December ’69 and by summer had cruised to the Virgin Island via Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. Charter opportunities looked good, so they decided to stay temporarily. For 3 years they chartered day-sails, week cruises and summer camps while their children were home schooled through 7th grade.
In 1972, they decided to return to California by way of the Galapagos Islands in a 37-day, non-stop cruise. After 2 years in California they again set sail, this time for French Polynesia to explore the Marquesas and Tahiti. One year later they dropped anchor in Hilo Bay. There Brian got a degree in Geography from U.H. Hilo. In ’74 they sailed to Oahu and entered the charter business.
In June 1982 “Water Gypsy” was purchased by Frank Wandell, renamed “Free Spirit”, and put into service as the primary club boat for a new venture, the Free Spirit Sailing Systems, an adventure cruising club. In 1992 she was purchased by her current owner, Captain Gordie Morris, who operated the Club for another 10 years logging over 50,000 nautical miles providing inter-island adventure cruises, day-sailing, and advanced sail training for over 400 members. Additionally, Captain Morris founded the Captain’s Club to provide sailing and ocean opportunity to Foster Children. During this period Free Spirit underwent a complete rebirth including major hull renewal, painting, new standing and running rigging, new sails, major engine overhaul, a new keel and rudder design, re-wiring and all new electronics.
When Captain Mike bought the boat, her knew he wanted to not only share the boat, but also the lifestyle with the world, and the CBYC was born.
CONSTRUCTION
Free Spirit is constructed of Pacific Northwest Red Spruce. The long wood fibers of spruce provide high strength and flexibility at a relatively light weight, a fact that led the Wright Brothers to build the first effectual aircraft out of spruce wood; spruce is still used to make gliders. Trimarans are not designed to be heavy displacement boats like monohulls. Moreover, they are designed to be light and glide over the sea rather than struggle forward by displacing the water. The light weight and buoyancy of this wood is also the primary reason that it is difficult to sink when flooded or even overturned. Her defined method of construction is “cold molded”, a process of laying multiple strips of thin plywood over the structural frames. Free Spirits plywood hulls were bonded together with Urac glue and bronze fastenings. The amas are double, diagonally laid, 4” strips of ¼” ply while the main hull is 3 layers of 3/16” ply (double diagonally laid with a horizontal layer sandwiched between. Her outer hulls and decks are covered with a double skin of 6 oz. cloth and resin with 3 layers below the waterline.
Her length-over-all (LOA) is 48’ and her beam is 24’. She is strong, spacious and extremely sea-kindly underway or at anchor. She has a comfortable accommodation below decks with a main hull beam of 8’ and 4’ in the amas.
1990's CLUB BROCHURE
