Free Life
ex Kismet
Free Life, originally named Kismet, is a Gunter-rigged yacht designed by A. Mylne & Co. and built in 1912 by the German shipyard Abeking & Rasmussen. She represents Design 219 from the Mylne office, a period when the practice was establishing itself as a leading Scottish yacht design authority. The yacht measures 23.6 feet on the waterline with a beam of 6.6 feet and draft of 4.75 feet, dimensions suited to the small cruiser and day-sailer market of the early twentieth century.
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Historical Context
Design 219 was created in 1912, a year of considerable activity within the Mylne office. The early twentieth century saw A. Mylne & Co. consolidate its position as one of Scotland's leading yacht design practices. The office, founded by Alfred Mylne in 1896, had by 1912 gained experience across a wide range of vessel types, from small cruisers to larger racing and cruising yachts. The choice to build Kismet at Abeking & Rasmussen demonstrates the international standing of Mylne designs. German builders, particularly those in Bremen and the surrounding region, were renowned for quality and precision. This cross-border collaboration was not uncommon among leading designers of the period and reflects the cosmopolitan nature of yacht design and building in the early 1900s. The Gunter rig, employed on Design 219, was a characteristic choice for vessels of this size and era, particularly popular in the North Sea and Northern European waters where Mylne designs were frequently built and sailed.