Editing Freewinds (section)

===1986 onwards: Scientology acquisition and ownership===
In 1984, the Church of Scientology's parent body, the [[Church of Scientology International]] (CSI), decided to acquire a ship on which to deliver high-level [[Scientology]] courses. According to a statement by the Church:

{{Blockquote |text=CSI believed that an ocean-going vessel would be the most appropriate facility for ministering New OT VIII because this advanced level of religious service requires a completely safe, aesthetic and distraction-free environment and because [[L. Ron Hubbard]], the religion's founder, had researched and ministered the first [[OT level]]s aboard a ship in the late 1960s. A ship therefore would have particular religious significance to Scientologists.<ref name="fst1023">[http://www.xenufrance.net/fst-to-irs-1023.pdf Flag Ship Trust ''Application for Recognition of Exemption''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229075733/http://www.xenufrance.net/fst-to-irs-1023.pdf |date=2008-02-29 }}, IRS Form 1023, August 18, 1993</ref> }}

The [[Flag Ship Trust]] (FST) entity was formed in December 1985 with the aid of a US$5 million donation from the [[International Association of Scientologists]]. In September 1986, the FST purchased ''Bohème'', renamed her ''Freewinds'', and refitted her to enable use for Scientology purposes. Lawrence Woodcraft, a licensed British architect in the [[Sea Org]], was chosen by FST to be the "Chief Architect" of the ship. Upon arrival, Woodcraft discovered that he was not doing any design work but only producing working drawings of renderings and sketches by the "LRH Architects" Barry and Carol Stein (whom Woodcraft later found out were not licensed architects). The designs were full of functional defects, such as moving the dining room two decks up without the kitchen and replacing the existing dining room with a course room (causing disturbances from the noise from the kitchen). When Woodcraft pointed out such defects, he was overruled, and in the case of the restaurant, senior managers ordered an elevator to be installed, which required cutting through steel floors, threatening the ship's structural integrity. Woodcraft and the chief of the renovations, Steve Kozaki, were unsure about the composition of the walls. Kozaki slammed a hammer into a wall, releasing a powdery substance that Woodcraft immediately identified as [[asbestos]]. He later confirmed it when he found the original Finnish blueprints, which clearly labeled "asbestos" insulation all over the ship. Woodcraft confronted the Chief Engineer, Wack Alcock, who immediately denied having asbestos and claimed it was just "insulation." Woodcraft informed multiple people, who all disregarded his warnings, except Bitty Miscavige, the sister-in-law of Scientology head [[David Miscavige]], who supervised the project. Bitty immediately became concerned and tried to resolve the issue, but decided not to after Alcock could not find anything about asbestos in L Ron Hubbard's literature and reminded Bitty of Scientology doctrine, which held that cancer was caused by "[[Scientology beliefs and practices|sexual misconduct]]," not asbestos. Further damage was caused when one of Hubbard's writings was found to criticize fiberglass, as a consequence of which Sea Org ordered the removal of all the fiberglass protecting the ship from the Caribbean sun.<ref name="radarol">[http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/05/freewinds-asbestos-scientology-tom-cruise.php Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online : Cancer on the Lido Deck? Scientology Responds<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080604163053/http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/05/freewinds-asbestos-scientology-tom-cruise.php |date=2008-06-04 }}</ref><ref name="Lawrence Woodcraft's video interview">{{cite web|url=http://www.xenutv.com/interviews/freewinds-1.htm|title=Lawrence Woodcraft's talks about Blue Asbestos in 2001 video interview|work=Mark Bunker|publisher=Xenutv.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123224831/http://www.xenutv.com/interviews/freewinds-1.htm|archive-date=2009-01-23}}</ref>

Once construction started, Woodcraft witnessed how Sea Org members without experience in maritime engineering or interior design were brought without pay, carelessly ripping into the interiors, ventilation, and plumbing, releasing asbestos all over the ship. Many Sea Org members were covered head-to-toe with asbestos, with one individual, after being warned about it by Woodcraft, dismissing his concern and biting into the asbestos. The ship's construction fell vastly behind schedule and over budget, so Scientology management contracted "CCL," a professional ship refitting company based out of Southampton working primarily in Miami. Upon arrival, CCL Engineers were shocked and outraged by the ship's condition and the asbestos contamination, threatening to report them to the authorities. Scientology management allegedly paid CCL extra money, fearing a significant public relations issue. They compromised to have Sea Org members spray contaminated areas with water in a useless attempt to prevent the asbestos from becoming airborne. Eventually, relations with CCL broke down, and they left without performing any work. It was then decided to recruit non-Sea Org Scientologists with the necessary skills to complete the construction. The vessel was placed back into service in June 1988.<ref name="radarol"/>

The ownership and management of the vessel was organized through a complicated web of Scientology-run corporations and entities, most of which are owned by the FST. It is owned by San Donato Properties, a Panamanian corporation of which FST is the sole shareholder. Another FST-owned Panamanian corporation, [[Transcorp Services]], owns the mortgage on the ''Freewinds''. [[FSS Organization]] was a [[Netherlands Antilles]] corporation responsible for paying certain taxes on the vessel to the Netherlands Antilles authorities. Scientology courses are delivered aboard the vessel by the [[Flag Ship Service Organization]] (FSSO), in effect a floating branch of the Church of Scientology. [[Majestic Cruise Lines]] is a Panamanian corporation which operates the ''Freewinds'', receiving payment from FSSO for the use of the ship. [[MCL Services]] is a corporation in the Netherlands Antilles that provides shore support and liaison services for Majestic Cruise Lines and FSSO from the home port of the ''Freewinds'', [[Curaçao]].

Following the Church of Scientology's [[tax exemption]] agreement with the [[U.S. Internal Revenue Service]] in 1993, these arrangements were simplified. The responsibilities of the Majestic Cruise Lines were to be transferred to FSSO, with Majestic itself being dissolved, and FSS Organization being dissolved as it was no longer required for tax reporting purposes in the Netherlands Antilles.<ref name="fst1023" /> However, as of 1999 the Majestic company was continuing to bill visitors to the ''Freewinds''.<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=Caroline Letkeman |url=http://www.carolineletkeman.org/refund/docs/inv-1999-03-11-majestic-cruise-lines.html |title=Flag Ship Service Organization invoice |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060825194747/http://www.carolineletkeman.org/refund/docs/inv-1999-03-11-majestic-cruise-lines.html |archive-date=2006-08-25 }}</ref>

''Freewinds'' is the fifth ship to be owned by the Church of Scientology. The other four were {{HMS|Royal Scotsman||2}} (later ''Apollo''), ''[[Enchanter (ship)|Enchanter]]'' (later ''Diana''), ''[[Avon River (ship)|Avon River]]'' (later ''Athena''), and ''[[Nekambi]]'', all of which have apparently been scrapped.<ref>[[Russell Miller|Miller, R.]] (1987): [[Bare-faced Messiah]], Michael Joseph books, London. 380 pages [http://www.apologeticsindex.org/Bare%20Faced%20Messiah.pdf Full text]</ref> However, the nameplate of ''Diana'' has been preserved and is on display aboard ''Freewinds''. The church also operated two [[World War II]] surplus ships from the late 1960s until the early 1970s. These were ''Bolivar'', a subchaser, and T.S.M.Y. ''Excalibur''. Both of these vessels were docked at [[San Pedro, California]], and were used for training new Sea Org members.