Largest Hinckley Ever Built Comes Home (Briefly) To Southwest Harbor The 76’ custom designed sailing yacht was built in 1993. Dozens of Hinckley employees, including many who had built her, greeted the elegant sailing yacht Freesia when she “came home” to her builder in October. Although she appears to be an antique vessel with her teak pilot house, Freesia was technologically advanced for her 1993 build date. She was the first Hinckley to utilize composite construction including the Kevlar and carbon fiber components still used in Hinckleys today. Freesia is most distinguished by her stunning joinery and the master carpenter most responsible for the magnificent work was among the crowd gathered to see the boat. Carl Robinson admired his handiwork and pronounced the famous Freesia “almost as good as we left it.” High praise for a vessel with her kind of mileage under the keel. Freesia’s owners are avid sailors of the boat. Having acquired her in 2010, they have already cruised to Malta, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Crete, the Canary Islands, Antiqua, Palm Beach and Nantucket. After a little TLC that included bottom paint, a bit of joinery here and there, and a new prop, Freesia was ready to embark on her next adventures. Her captain proudly states, “She sails amazingly. It’s unreal. She is all hydraulic and you can run most everything from the helm. You could sail her single-handed from inside the pilothouse if you had to in bad weather. Everything’s automatic.” Freesia weighs in at 90,000 pounds, has a 17’ beam, and an 8.5 ‘ draft fin keel. The interior is finished in raised mahogany paneling with high gloss finish. She was designed by the Swedish designer Ocke Mannerfelt. Another trans-Atlantic passage is planned for this spring and if your travels take you to English or Scottish harbors, keep an eye out for the one of a kind Freesia. Welcome to Hinckley ***
