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Newporter 41 vs. Freeport 41 for Caribbean Cruising

Hi, I am deciding between a Newporter 41 & an Islander Freeport 41. My boyfriend & I plan to cruise around the Caribbean for a fairly extended period & both of us have heard mixed reviews about the sailing capabilities of each (spanning…sails pretty good, handles like a dog, porpoises through the water, handles well for a cruising boat). We’re not interested in a high performance racing boat, but we will want to be able to head up into the wind in rough weather. I’ve found basically no info on the Newporter 41, & not too much on the other. Can you help? – Barb

Hi Barb: If we are talking about the same boats, the Newport 41 is a very nice sailboat, and will go uphill reasonably well for a boat of its size and configuration. The Freeport 41 is no designed or built as an open ocean boat. But has lots of space. Better for the Bahamas and ICW, but I would not want to make uphill passages aboard against the Caribbean trades. Steve


Posted by Steve Dashew  (November 30, 1999)

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 30th, 1999 at 12:00 am and is filed under Cruiser's Tech Talk, The Right Boat. Both comments and pings are currently closed.




2 Responses to “Newporter 41 vs. Freeport 41 for Caribbean Cruising”

  1. Rich Coleman Says:
    September 14th, 2009 at 12:30 pm

    Hello Steve,

    I found a 10 year old comment you made about the Ack Ackermann Newporter 40 being a “very nice sailboat”

    I may have a bronze screw loose, but i am considering buying one that has been COMPLETELY refit…including replacing the hull completely with epoxy saturated plywood, glassed over. ALL systems also replaced.

    You like the way they perform under sail?

    Your comments would be appreciated, as i regard you as one of fols who just make good sense in these matters


  2. Steve Dashew Says:
    September 15th, 2009 at 7:13 am

    Hi Rich:
    My sailing experience on the Newporter dates back to the 1950s, so take them with that in mind. Buying a boat like this may make sense if the price is right, but performance will be less than a modern yacht, and there will undoubtedly be maintenance issues. That said, there is nothing inherently wrong with the hard chine hull shape. And speed under sail being a relative thing, one of these would probably sail as well as a lot of high volume under-rigged cruising yachts.