John Freeman 1917 - 2013

[carlt]

Just read that the founder of Freeman Cruisers, John Freeman died on Friday.

 

If there was a Rolls Royce of GRP cruisers then the Freeman was it.

 

He died just short of his 96th birthday.

 

[churchward]

Sad for his family but I guess you couldn't say it was a life cut short.

 

I like the Freeman boats I have seen. We hired one on the Thames once in fact I think it was the first boat hire holiday I had without my parents. A good number of years ago now.

[carlt]

I guess you couldn't say it was a life cut short.

 

No all those resin fumes can't be as nasty as the COSHH stickers say, after all.

[Guest]

Sad for his family but I guess you couldn't say it was a life cut short.

 

I like the Freeman boats I have seen. We hired one on the Thames once in fact I think it was the first boat hire holiday I had without my parents. A good number of years ago now.

 

Same here - I like them too. If our time as steel narrowboaters was ever cut short and we had to 'downsize' to a GRP cruiser a Freeman would be very high up on the short-list. For anybody interested I came across this site recently - useful for all things 'Freeman'. The home page is currently carrying news of John Freemans death too.

 

http://www.freemancruisers.com/

[Doorman]

No all those resin fumes can't be as nasty as the COSHH stickers say, after all.

That's sad news but all credit to the chap as he enjoyed a long life.

 

Interesting about your comment regarding the resin fumes. As a person whom hates this excessive mollycoddling better known as the Nanny State, I do recall my years in the paint shop at Fords, Halewood, where I would be exposed to Xylene fumes on a daily basis whilst repairing paint pumps. There was a paint mix room where the staff had air fed masks to wear to protect them from the toxic atmosphere, but most would decline these important aids due to their cumbersome nature. The premature death rate amongst the blokes was more than just coincidence.

 

I believe that water based paints are now prominently used in the car industry these days and the Swedish were forerunners in developing this safer form of paint application.