Schooner Liberty Star Bahamas

General Vessel Information

The Schooner Liberty Star offers crewed sailing charters as well as day sails in the harbor of Boston. You can board her just steps away from historic downtown Boston and enjoy the breezes and views from the water.  It is such a relaxing way to gain another perspective of the history and skyline of Boston, yet also sail the old-fashioned way. Feel free to help the crew hoist those sails, as the Liberty Star relies on man/woman power to harness the power of the wind.

(Currently the Liberty Star does not offer overnight stays)  This beautiful schooner was lovingly refit  in 2012 and features two upper and lower berth cabins, and a deluxe cabin with a full-sized double bed. All cabins offer opening skylights, and lots of varnished wood detailing. The below deck area is air conditioned.  The Liberty Star is a traditional gaff-rigged, two-masted wooden schooner, built by Maine craftsmen.

There is plenty of room at our table in the Salon or eat on deck under the sun and sea breezes.

The Liberty Windjammer Fleet is proud to offer US-crewed tall ship windjammer cruises. Your safety is always our number one priority, so rest assured that the Schooner Liberty Clipper and Schooner Liberty Star exceeds all required United States Coast Guard Safety and Crew Training Requirements. The Liberty Fleet is a company founded by professional sailors, holds an unlimited tonnage US Coast Guard license, and understands and respects the unique demands of the sea upon both ships and crew.

The Liberty Star proudly flies a US Flag at her mast-head. We take great pride in maintaining our ship to the highest safety standards.

Safety Equipment

Liberty Star is equipped with modern emergency communications equipment, emergency medical equipment, and American citizen crew members who are trained in emergency response techniques. Furthermore, we have USCG inspected TYPE-1 Life Preservers, SOLAS approved Life-Rafts that are inspected and certified annually by the manufacturer, life-rings, a fully Coast Guard inspected fire-fighting system, and most importantly the training to effectively use this equipment.

Liberty Star Staffing

A strong crew is always the most important aspect of any vessel’s safety program. The Liberty Star’s professional crew is led by our US Coast Guard licensed captains who are all highly qualified professional mariners with a minimum of 720-days of sea-going experience on similarly sized vessels; this typically reflects 4-5 years of industry experience. We also carry a licensed mate with a minimum of 360-days of sea-going experience on similarly sized vessels.

What is the U.S. difference?

While each country has its own vessel registry safety and inspection requirements, they are not all created equal. Typically, European nations have a strong maritime tradition and maintain competitive safety standards with the United States. Most non-US flag vessels, however, are registered under a “Flag of Convenience.” Simply stated, this applies to those vessels under Panamanian, Monrovian, and other similar flags. There are many reasons to register a ship under a foreign flag including: avoidance of taxes, avoidance of liability for injury, lower labor costs, and lack of inspection and safety oversight to save money. Most developed nations maintain a watch-list for “flag of convenience vessels” visiting their territorial waters.

Below is a list of some basic safety requirements and inspection requirements for comparison.

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 10 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!