History

1926-1933: Freedom was designed by John Trumpy and built by the Mathis Yacht Building Company of Camden, New Jersey for Mr. Aubert J. Fay of Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Fay cruised between his homes in Lowell, Massachusetts and Miami, Florida.  She was the Fay’s second Mathis-Trumpy and was christened Freedom on the 150th anniversary of our country’s independence. She is a near sister-ship to the Presidential Yacht Sequoia, which is also 104 feet, built one year earlier by the Mathis Yard.

1933-1939: The Fay family sold Freedom to Mrs. J.P. Donahue, the daughter of “five & dime” tycoon F.W. Woolworth. Mrs. Donahue acquired the yacht as an extension of her palatial Palm Beach estate. Mrs. Donahue was a close friend and “supporter” of the once King of England Edward VIII and his bride Wallis Simpson. The couple often stayed with the Donahues when they visited the U.S. and it was with Mrs. Donahue’s son Jimmy that Wallis carried on a long lived affair, unbeknownst to her husband whom had abdicated the throne in order to marry her!

1939-1942: Freedom is sold to Mr. S.A. Lynch and she moves for the next 60 years to Miami, Florida. At this time her name was changed to Sunset.

1942-1950: Sunset is sold to Mr. Herbert M. Plimpton and she remains in the Plimpton family until 1950.

1950-1970: Sunset is sold to Mr. Lewis M. Adams and for the next 20 years is held in a Delaware corporation called Yachts, Inc., while home ported in Miami.

1970-1974: through the early 1970s, Sunset was in the possession of the International Oceanographic Foundation, which is part of the University of Miami.

1974-1976: Sunset was sold to Eileen and Carl A. Rose

1976-1981: During this period, Sunset was owned by the Meeting Place Ministries, Inc. and later Fellowship Church and Ministries, Inc.

1981-2002: Sunset was sold to Mr. Ashley Howes of Pinehurst, NC and she continued to be home ported in Miami. In the early 1980s, it is purported that Mr. Howes made more than one crossing to Cuba in the effort to transport refugees to the United States, bringing back in excess of some 300 Cubans on one trip alone. 

2002-Present: In January of 2002, Sunset was purchased by the Yacht Freedom, LLC and her name returned to Freedom. She is underwent a $6.5 million restoration, and was “re-launched” on May 9th, 2009!