Skip to primary navigation Skip to content Skip to footer

Schooner Liberty Star

Come aboard the “little sister” of the fleet, the 67-foot Liberty Star!  You’ll be charmed by this nimble schooner from the moment you step on board.  Approximately half the size of the Liberty Clipper, the Liberty Star is easily handled by a smaller crew – although you can still help haul up sails and take the helm!  Find your favorite spot to enjoy the Boston Harbor skyline and settle in for a relaxing day or sunset sail to escape the heat and noise of the city.

History


Originally christened the Rachel B. Jackson, the Liberty Star was commissioned in 1972 in Harrington, Maine as a private sailing yacht.  Over the course of the following ten years, she had three owners, each of whom completed a portion of her construction.  In 1982, a Maine shipwright named George Emery purchased the hull and completed the vessel.  He named her in honor of his grandmother, who had lent him the money to purchase and complete the schooner.

Built as a working replica of an 1890s coastal schooner, her sturdy mahogany planking, oak frames, traditional pine and fir decking, shining brass fittings, and exotic wood cabinetry recall the workmanship of days gone by.  She was originally put into service as a training vessel at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT.  In the mid 1980s, the Seaport sold the vessel to a family who outfitted her and spent three years sailing around the world.  Upon the completion of her circumnavigational voyage, she was sold to another family in Maine who took guests on day sails and also showed her at tall ship events.  In 2000 she represented the state of Maine in the Tall Ships 2000 race from Bermuda to Boston, and then on to Halifax, Nova Scotia.  At one point, the ship was chartered by the National Geographic Society to do whale research off the coast of the Dominican Republic.

In the spring of 2012, the Liberty Fleet of Tall Ships found the Rachel B. Jackson “well-used” in Belfast, Maine and decided to save the ship.  On April 2, 2012 Liberty Fleet purchased the vessel and spent the next four months and 6,000 man hours rebuilding the ship.  Restoration work was extensive, and included new decking, a new main-mast, replacement of the engine, drive shaft, and propellers, new electronic and navigation equipment, and new sails.  Her interiors were also refit to include three cozy cabins for overnight accommodations.  Liberty Fleet would like to especially thank master shipwrights Mike Rogers, Geno Scalzo, and Andros Kypragoras for their incredible work and completion of the refit.

The Liberty Fleet rechristened the ship to the Liberty Star, and held an official renaming ceremony for her complete with a bottle of rum and a tot for Poseidon himself!

Ship Specifications


Ship Registry United States of America
Vessel Rig Gaff Rigged Topsail Schooner
Homeport Boston, MA (Summer); Virgin Islands (Winter)
Length Overall 67-feet
Length of Deck 52-feet
Waterline Length 42-feet
Draft 8-feet
Beam 17-feet
Mast Height 76-feet
Freeboard 5-feet
Sail Area 2,500 square feet
Gross Registered Tonnage 52-tons
Vessel Displacement 46-tons
Auxiliary Power Cummins TurboDiesel 5.9L 210 H.P.
Hull Oak and Mahogany
Deck Douglass Fir and White Pine
Masts Douglass Fir
Spars Douglass Fir
Crew Compliment 3 Near-Coastal / 7 Offshore
Designer George Emery
Year Built 1982
Certification United States Coast Guard Passenger Vessel