As St. Augustine's Premier Tall Ship, the 76-foot Schooner Freedom was built in Norfolk, Virginia and brought to St. Augustine in 2001 by owners Captain John Zaruba, and his wife, Admiral Sarah. It is the only schooner charter vessel between Charleston and the Florida Keys.
She is an honorable testament to naval history and to the blockade runners of the early 1800s, has 2400 square feet of sail, is a gaff-rigged topsail schooner, and a highlight to any Saint Augustine vacation. Family owned and operated, love, grit and honor is poured into every crevice of this ship, and it shows in our Captain's and crew's vast knowledge of sailing history and their deep passion for the ocean.
If John is not your captain, then chances are one of his children, Sydney or Jack, are on board as first mate. Come for a sail on board, learn about the unique history of our nation's Schooners and beautiful Saint Augustine, the nation's oldest city. Hoist sails and enjoy a drink on the waters, you won't regret it.
The waters of historic St. Augustine are listed as one of the top ten attractions in St. Augustine by USA Today. Schooner Freedom offers relaxing days, romantic Sunsets, and enchanting moonlight sails, as well as a variety of special events throughout the year.
CLICK HERE to add a Schooner Freedom Sail to your Carriage Way package!
Loved the experience even in torrential rains!! No controlling the weather but the crew and Captain John were prepared and handled it very professionally. We had a group of women celebrating birthdays and that was lively, but all in good fun. Already booked another cruising for around the holidays!!.
The whole crew were so much fun.
We had such an awesome time on the sunset sail. Kevin, Courtney, Zach & the whole crew were so much fun, knowledgable and just made for a great trip. The other passengers were also a ton of fun, we got to celebrate with a couple enjoying their 47th anniversary. Highly recommend sailing with this group, we'll absolutely do it again.
Enjoying the breeze and dolphins... Took the sunset cruise with the wife and had an Amazing time., Well worth every penny to go. Enjoyed being out on the water enjoying the breeze and dolphins that came by. Thank you to all the crew aboard and Capt Steve who made the voyage remarkable.
Always a great time!
The crew is great at what they do, friendly, and very informative. Love the vibe of just hanging out on a sailboat getting to know each other. One of my favorite things to do here.
Crew were outstanding!
My mother, my daughter, and I took the 2:15 tour today. It was so exciting seeing the crew man the sails on our voyage. Captain Kevin and the crew of Sydney, Steven, and Sarah were outstanding, knowledgeable, and funny. This is a great way to spend an afternoon! I highly recommend going on the Schooner Freedom.
Incredible experience...
Incredible experience on our Sunset Sail! Captain Steve and his crew did an awesome job. Loved the views of St Augustine and surrounding area. Cannot recommend this experience enough. Drinks were included.
