TOPIC: Another new member with a hard to find boat.

Hello everyone.

I am an experienced boater but only owned jon boats in the past including the 14' Tracker that I have now.

A couple of months ago, we purchased a new to us fiberglass boat and naturally, I am unable to find much information about the boat. ANY help would be greatly appreciated... photos would be most welcome as I am looking at possibly restoring it to original condition... if possible.

The boat is a 1988, Glasstream, Freedom 21. It is powered with a 260 hp., 350 cid, Mercruiser I/O. I am doing okay with the Mercruiser information but the actual boat information is extremely limited as far as I can find.

I have written to Glasstream. The company is located in Florida but several years after my boat was made they went out of business. They have since started up again. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have kept any of the information from the first start up.

Today, I am going to attempt to correct a lot of wiring issues in what has become a rats nest with wires just twisted and taped together, etc. I am sure many of you know what I am talking about. <grin>

Anyway, thank you for letting me join. And again, if anyone has any information about this boat, please contact me as I really would like to pretty it up a bit.

I do have photos of the "before" as purchased boat. Unfortunately, my old computer is in a coma and none of the photos have been transferred to the new computer.

Have a great day, Bill.

If you are looking for info about wiring or diagrams for your specific boat, you arent likely to find them. They really never existed.

You might get lucky and find a brochure that shows some pix of the boat, but if it came w an owners manual originally, it would have been fairly generic, and would be exceptionally basic about boat operation.

Generic wiring diagram images are available on k ine so you might try searching for 1 of them.

Good luck and enjoy the new to you Freedom21

First, I thank you for the fast reply.

No, I do not need the wiring diagram. I have found several sites with wire color codes and that sorts out what colors Should be there. A few wires have been spliced several times with each end a totally different color and completely different colors in the center. I feel I have enough information to get the wiring "up to code". All of the twisted and un-taped, twisted and taped as well as old crimped connections are being replaced. Some of the crimped connectors are rusted with exposed wires and are frayed almost to the breaking point. All wire ends WILL be soldered and heat shrink tubing applied over any connections. All of the switches are being replaced. I am going to have to "mail order" new panel mounted circuit breakers, but the present ones are still working. Well, I don't know if they "trip" but they are allowing the circuits to work. All of the switches function, but are old and look terrible. The new ones look to be the same as what is in there now, so I presume that the current ones are not original.

That is part of the reason that I would like photos. I am not expecting any photos but might get lucky. The information on this vessel is as "scarce as hens teeth". The boat originally had letters on the side and I can make out the shadow image of "Free Spirit" which is also sewn on the padded sides behind the front seats. However, I have no idea if there was a specific color used for the letters. I understand that it's one of those things where I can make it any style that I want. And as soon as I do... someone will come up with a photo showing that I have it all wrong. <grin>

I have located one Free Spirit 21 for sale, actually in Maryland near D.C. but it has been modified... a lot. A boat dealer has it and is not interested in sending information that I have asked about but has tried to sell the boat to me using the photos and little information on the many web sites it is advertised on.

Anyway, it runs great at low and high speed but is bogging down just before it gets up on a plane. The fuel pump appears to be working properly, filters have been changed and as soon as I get the wiring and necessary cosmetic work done so that it will pass Mommy inspection, <evil grin> I will take her and the kids on the lake a few times and get that out of their systems for the summer. Then the carburetor will come off and either be replaced or rebuilt. I can do either. If anyone is interested, the carb is a Rochester Quadrajet.

Thanks again, Bill

billkealey,

WELCOME ABOARD. = Check your local public, technical school and/or community college library for a book on marine electronics.

yours, satx