Your Captain & Crew

Captain John Zaruba has been sailing for most of his adult life. His first boat was an abandoned shrimp trawler in his back yard that served as a playground and sparked his imagination, sailing the high seas, fighting pirates, and exploring tropical vistas. Growing up in Jacksonville, his first introduction to the sea was through his father’s shrimp boat and surfing the local breaks from north Jacksonville Beach south to St. Augustine. He upgraded to a 16 foot Hobie Cat, learning the basics of sailing and seamanship. Over the years, Captain John has owned and sailed on a 34 foot Morgan and a 32 foot West Sail sailboat. He logged thousands of miles under the keel, sailing between Charleston, South Carolina and Key West, Florida, spending a significant amount of time in both ports. Before settling in an anchorage in Key West, where John and his wife managed a water sports concession. Family commitments called and the family moved Jacksonville. Determined not to be kept from the sea, John and Sarah purchased the schooner Freedom, competed a year-long refit, and launched her in 2001 as a charter boat in St. Augustine, FL. He is the only true owner/operator sailing in St. Augustine - if you come sailing with us, Captain John will be running the boat!

If you have been sailing with us before, Kim may be a familiar face. She has been with the Freedom since 2005. Born and raised in the small, coastal town of Ipswich, Massachusetts, she was raised on fast power boats. After graduating from Flagler College, she came to work on the Freedom as the office manager and full time deckhand. Besides daily charters, she has sailed on the Freedom to New Smyrna, Jacksonville, and Key West. She holds a Coast Guard OUPV captain's license and is working on obtaining her masters. Kim loves to read any nautical literature and is passionate about preserving maritime history.

Jimmy joined the crew of the Freedom in January of 2012 and quickly became one of our most dependable deckhands. Although born in Staten Island, he was raised an hour north of the city in New York. He is working to gather sea time in order to pursue his master's license and is a very enthusiastic mariner. Another Flagler College graduate, Jimmy is a full time deckhand and is responsible for assisting Captain John with maintenance of the vessel and is becoming a quick hand at his marlinspike skills. He is also our resident conch signaler and sports guru. He can normally be found with a smile on his face, chatting enthusiastically with passengers about his love for sailing and life.