Freeman Boats, the South Carolina Catamaran Center Console Builder

How a South Carolina garage build became a waiting-list brand

Freeman Boatworks began, by the company's own account, as a small operation in a South Carolina garage. The idea was simple and stubborn: build an offshore catamaran that runs like a big monohull in a head sea but keeps the stability, range and fuel efficiency of two hulls. Over little more than a decade the company grew into a full production plant that now turns out nine models from 28 to 56 feet, topped by the Freeman Signature 56.

The boats earned their reputation the hard way, on long runs to the Gulf Stream and canyon edges from the Carolinas and Florida. Captains talk about how a Freeman tracks in a following sea and how little it pounds at 30 knots plus, which is the main reason demand has outrun production for years.

From the 28 to the 47, which Freeman fits which angler

We cover eight Freemans, which fall into three bands: twin-engine boats under 33 feet, the vented-hull boats that made the name, and the big multi-engine cats.

The small boats are mostly new. The Freeman 28, launched in 2023 as the company's smallest model, is a hybrid of bay boat and offshore cat with a 16 inch draft and twin 300s, aimed at inshore and nearshore anglers. The Freeman 29 name covers two different boats: the vented 29VH of the early 2010s, now a rare used find, and an all-new 30 foot 5 inch Freeman 29 that arrived in 2025 with 290 gallons and a glass windshield. The Freeman 32, offered for early production in 2026, sits just above them with an 11 foot 8 inch beam and 390 gallons, so used examples are effectively nonexistent so far.

The vented-hull era is now on the brokerage market. The Freeman 37VH, which the company presented as its new vented flagship around 2014, was built into the mid 2020s with 540 gallons and quad-engine speeds above 70 mph, and the Freeman 38 now fills its slot. The Freeman 34VH followed in 2015 as a stepped, vented development of the original 33, running twin outboards, and has since been replaced by the Freeman 35.

At the top, three boats share the multi-outboard formula. The Freeman 42LR is the long-range model, with 800 gallons for anglers who run 60 to 100 miles to the grounds. The Freeman 43, introduced in 2022, carries about the same fuel but adds double-row forward-facing seating and a glass windshield for crews who want comfort on long runs. The Freeman 47, which arrived in 2020, is the brand's big tournament boat with more than 1,000 gallons, a 13 foot 2 inch beam and the deck space to fight fish with a full crew. The Signature 56 now heads the lineup above it.

Across the range, the catamaran layout gives a wide, stable fishing platform with plenty of room for livewells, rod storage and tackle stations. The trade-off is that cats feel different from deep-V monohulls in tight turns and quartering seas, so new owners should get time at the helm before committing.

Why used Freemans sell fast and what that means for buyers

Freeman resale is among the strongest in the outboard market. Long build queues mean a clean used 42LR, 43 or 47 with fresh power can bring close to the price of a new boat with a delivery date years away. Buyers should be ready to move quickly on good listings and to pay for a survey within days rather than weeks.

Service is mostly a matter of outboard dealer coverage, since engines and electronics make up the bulk of maintenance. That makes ownership practical anywhere Yamaha or Mercury dealers are close, but warranty and structural questions go back to the factory in South Carolina.

• Outboard hours and service records on every engine, plus lower unit and gearcase condition
• Transom and engine bracket area for stress cracks or loose fasteners
• Tunnel underside for impact damage from hard running or groundings
• Hardtop, console and leaning post mounts for cracking at the deck
• Wiring, battery switching and electronics installs, which vary by owner
• Fuel tank sender accuracy and fuel system filters on long-range hulls
• Seven Marine outboards on some 37VH builds, where parts support needs checking first