Coastal Cruises
Visitors can join us for coastal cruises from our home port of Speightstown or from one of the other ports on our schedule.
Book a Cruise Online
Schooner RUTH offers 2 hour cruises with 25 available places that will allow you to experience the beautiful Speightstown Bay and coast of St Peter and St Lucy.
Pricing (taxes and fees included):
Adult - $120
Children (7-12) - $60
(Youth under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult)
Before boarding, you will be required to attend a safety briefing and will learn about the vessel and its history.
Experience the Historic Speightstown Schooner Excursion
Historic Speightstown is the second largest town in Barbados, located along the north-west coastline and prides itself with a long standing and fascinating history. The town, which started as a settlement around 1630, is named after William Speight who owned the land the town was built on. Speightstown stood as the main and busiest Barbados port that served England, “the motherland”. The town earned itself the name Little Bristol due to its strong British presence.
In 1652, there was disquiet as a result of the civil war in England, and Admiral George Ayscue, under the command of Oliver Cromwell, tried to reclaim the port of Speightstown. The Barbadians, being loyal to Charles I, refused to recognize Cromwell as their protector and for six months, Ayscue was unable to land on Speightstown. Ayscue eventually landed on the island with the help of a defector and met with representatives of Barbados at Oistins Town.
As the commercial hub of Barbados’ north the famed fast Speightstown Schooners carried agricultural product and fresh produce to the capital, Bridgetown.
Schooner Ruth's home port at the Speightstown Shallow Draught
Schooner RUTH is operated by The Schooner RUTH Youth Seamanship Skills
Training Program trading as S V RUTH Ltd.
Who would have thought that on December 6, 2014, St Nicholas Day - the patron Saint of seafarers and on a full moon and high tide those several hundred spectators of good will present on the shore of Carlisle Bay knew what would come of the day's festivities. They were there to launch the Schooner RUTH. What they witnessed set in motion a reaffirmation of our Island seagoing heritage that continues to this day. Who could have predicted that Schooner RUTH would become the pride of Barbados - a traditional Grand Banks fishing interisland cargo schooner built entirely on the beach by skilled Barbadian and Caribbean craftsmen. Perhaps those who built this beautiful vessel had a sense of history in the making. In time, all would come to revere Schooner RUTH.
Today, the spirit of her builders lives on as
Barbados' Sailing Ambassador and the flagship of The Schooner RUTH Youth Seamanship Skills Training Program. Schooner RUTH is a proud representative of Barbados' maritime legacy. The story continues.
Support Youth Seamanship Skills training by embarking on an Historic Speightstown
Schooner Excursion.
