Spirit of Freedom

Liveaboard · Australia · Official Website
Spirit of Freedom at anchor on a flat calm off the Great Barrier Reef

Book through Tour Leader Club

37 m · 24 guests · 11 cabins · 12 crew members

TL

Spirit of Freedom is a 37-metre steel vessel built in 1992 specifically for long-range trips into the Coral Sea. Steel hull, aluminium superstructure, electronic stabilisers, and an Australian 1B survey that allows her 260 miles offshore — which covers every reef and island in the Coral Sea. She goes into a four-week refit once a year. Eleven cabins take up to 24 guests, looked after by a crew of 12.

She sails out of Cairns year-round on three programmes. The three-night trip runs 240 km north along the rarely visited Ribbon Reefs to the famous Cod Hole, home to a family of enormous potato cod. The four-night trip heads out to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea — an old volcanic atoll 220 km offshore with thousand-metre walls and the shark dive at North Horn. The seven-night trip combines both.

The defining feature of the short trips is the fly/dive format: one leg is flown rather than sailed. On the three-night trip guests go ashore on Lizard Island on the last morning, walk up to Mary Watson’s cottage, and return to Cairns on a one-hour low-level scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef instead of a sea passage. The four-night trip is the mirror image: it opens with a 200 km flight from Cairns up the coast and over the reef to Lizard Island, a landing on the island airstrip, a tender out to the vessel — and diving starts the same day. The flight is included in the fare, but it comes with a condition: on these two programmes baggage is capped at 20 kg per person including carry-on. The seven-night trip sails both ways, so it carries neither the flight nor the baggage limit.

Diving is self-guided: the crew give a detailed briefing, keep a safety diver on deck and offer in-water support, but there is no full guiding service — buddy teams plan and run their own dives. The Ribbon Reefs take Open Water divers with 10 ocean dives; the Coral Sea requires Advanced Open Water with 20. Minimum age on board is 16, and guests over 65 need a current dive medical.

Inside there is an air-conditioned saloon and dining room, a separate forward lounge with soft seating and beanbags, a sun deck, a bar and a library. The kitchen works to a chef’s menu with four meals a day, and a complimentary Australian wine, beer or soft drink comes with dinner. Every cabin has an en-suite bathroom, air conditioning and daily housekeeping.

No mark-up

You pay the rate the operator publishes. The only thing added on top is the actual payment processing cost — no fee of ours.

We run the booking

Correspondence with the operator, holding your places, the contract, confirmation and all paperwork sit on our side. Nothing for you to arrange yourself.

Pay by card

We send you a Stripe invoice — pay by card, in your own currency, from anywhere in the world. The transfer to the operator is handled on our side.

Support in your language

We help you pick the cabin and dates, answer questions on the route and gear, and stay reachable until you are home — in English, in your time zone.

We quote the exact amount when confirming the booking: it covers the operator's rate plus the actual payment processing cost. No hidden charges.

Yacht Specifications

Length

37 m

Beam

7.1 m

Material

Steel hull with aluminium superstructure

Year Built

1992

Capacity

24 guests

Cabins

11

Crew

12 members

Speed

8 knots cruising (12 max)

Engine

2 × Yanmar 500 hp (368 kW) diesel

Refit

annual four-week refit; major refurbishment in 2023

Bathrooms

11 + 2 toilets on the dive deck

Tender

2 × Naiad RIB tenders

Water capacity

20,000 l

Fuel capacity

30,000 l

Freshwater maker

9,000 l/day

On Board

Free Wi-Fi when in range
Sea-view cabins
En-suite bathroom in every cabin
Air-conditioned cabins
Air-conditioned saloon
Warm-water showers
Outside showers
Sun deck
Observation deck
Forward lounge
Leisure area
Library
Bar
Outdoor dining area
BBQ area
Audio and video entertainment
Camera table and photographer's workstation
240 V and 110 V outlets in the lounge
Charging stations
Separate rinse tub for underwater cameras
Snorkelling equipment
Daily housekeeping
Custom built for diving
Non-smoking cabins
Local and international crew
Hairdryer on request
Onboard souvenir shop

Diving on board

Dedicated dive deck with a shaded area
Individual dry storage boxes
Rinse hoses
DIN adaptors, all cylinders DIN + DIN K
2 × Bauer 21 CFM compressors
DNAx nitrox membrane system (32% nitrox, paid)
44 cylinders — 36 × 11 l, 2 × 15 l, 2 × 9 l
Cylinders, weights and weight belts included
Nautilus Lifeline beacon for every diver, free of charge
Diving from two Naiad tenders
Sidemount diving
Night dives, torches and cyalume sticks supplied
Shark dive at North Horn
Dive courses and a nitrox course on board

There is no full guiding service: buddy teams plan and run their own dives, while the crew provide the briefing, a safety diver and surface support. The Ribbon Reefs require Open Water with 10 ocean dives (5 in the last 12 months); the Coral Sea requires Advanced Open Water with 20 dives. Minimum age 16; guests over 65 need a current dive medical.

Food and drinks

Full board, four meals a day
Continental breakfast plus a cooked breakfast after the first dive
Chef's menu, international and local cuisine
Buffet style
Vegetarian options
Vegan options
Snacks through the day
Al fresco dining
BBQ on the top deck in Watson's Bay
One complimentary drink with dinner — Australian wine, beer or a soft drink
Selection of Australian wines
Tea, coffee and drinking water around the clock

Special dietary requirements must be advised at least 30 days before departure. The ship's bar runs outside dinner service and the tab is settled at the end of the trip — AUD cash, Visa and Mastercard accepted, AMEX is not.

Navigation and safety

JRC 72-mile radar
Transas chart plotter
Tsunami GPS
Depth sounder
VHF/DSC/SSB radio, Icom HF and VHF
Satellite and mobile phones
EPIRB distress beacon
Life rafts
Life vests
Emergency flares
Fire alarm and extinguishers
Bilge pump alarm
Search light
Oxygen on board
First aid kits
Crew trained in first aid
Electronic stabilisers

Cabins

· 1 cabin

Double

Beds: 1 double bed

The roomiest cabin on the top deck, with three large windows overlooking the starboard side. An internal stairwell leads down to the main deck, and there is external access to the top deck and the dive deck. Double bed, bedside tables, wardrobe and a 26" flat-screen TV with USB input. Double or sole occupancy only — no twin-share option.

Panoramic window over the ocean En-suite bathroom Air conditioning 26" flat-screen TV with USB input Up to 2 guests Access to the top deck and dive deck

· 1 cabin

Double

Beds: 1 double bed

A sea-view cabin on the top deck, more compact than the Deluxe. Double bed, wardrobe, a 26" flat-screen TV with USB input and an en-suite bathroom. Internal stairwell to the main deck and external access to the top deck and dive deck. Double or sole occupancy only.

Window over the sea En-suite bathroom Air conditioning 26" flat-screen TV with USB input Up to 2 guests

· 1 cabin

Double queen-size

Beds: 1 queen-size bed

The largest cabin on the vessel, in a private area of the lower deck close to the dive deck and the dining saloon. Queen-size bed, extra shelving, wardrobe, bedside tables and a 26" flat-screen TV with USB input. Double or sole occupancy only.

The most spacious cabin on board The largest en-suite bathroom on board Air conditioning 26" flat-screen TV with USB input Close to the dive deck and dining saloon Up to 2 guests

· 5 cabins

Double / Twin

Beds: 1 double bed with a single bunk above it

Five lower-deck cabins with a double bed and a single bunk above it. Easy access to the main deck, a wardrobe, bedside table, personal reading light and an en-suite bathroom. State your preference for double or twin share when booking; sole occupancy is also available.

En-suite bathroom Air conditioning Personal reading light Suitable for solo travellers Mixed-gender share on request Close to the main deck

· 1 cabin

Double

Beds: 1 double bed

The only lower-deck cabin with just a double bed and no bunk above it. Individually controlled air conditioning, wardrobe, bedside table and en-suite bathroom, with easy access to the main deck.

Double bed only, no upper bunk En-suite bathroom Air conditioning with its own control Up to 2 guests

· 1 cabin

Twin

Beds: 2 single beds

The only cabin with two separate single beds. Lower deck with easy access to the main deck, individually controlled air conditioning, wardrobe, bedside table and en-suite bathroom.

Two separate single beds En-suite bathroom Air conditioning with its own control Suitable for solo travellers

· 1 cabin

Quad

Beds: 4 single beds, bunk style

The only four-berth cabin, located midships on the lower deck where the motion is gentlest. Four single bunks, each with its own reading light, and storage under the bottom two. Wardrobe and en-suite bathroom, with easy access to the main deck. A good option for a group or a family, and the cheapest berth on board.

The most affordable berth on board En-suite bathroom Air conditioning Personal reading light at every bunk Storage under the bottom bunks Midships — the gentlest motion Mixed-gender share on request

Schedule & Pricing

Cod Hole & Ribbon Reefs (Cairns — Cairns)

Departs Cairns at noon on Thursdays and returns on Sunday. The vessel runs 240 km north along the rarely visited Ribbon Reefs to the famous Cod Hole, home to a family of giant potato cod. Up to 11 dives including one night dive: Wonder Wall, Pixie Pinnacle, Challenger Bay, Two Towers, Lighthouse Bommie, the Snake Pit, and — when the current is right — a drift through Dynamite Pass, a channel sharks use. Saturday evening is spent anchored in Watson's Bay off Lizard Island with a BBQ on the top deck. On Sunday morning there is a walk across the island to Mary Watson's cottage, and the return to Cairns is flown rather than sailed: a one-hour low-level flight over the Great Barrier Reef. Level: Open Water with 10 ocean dives. Baggage on this programme is capped at 20 kg because of the flight. Dwarf minke whales turn up regularly in June and July, and snorkellers are welcome on this trip.

September 2026
3 departures
November 2026
2 departures

Coral Sea & Ribbon Reefs (Cairns — Cairns)

Departs on Sundays and returns on Thursday morning. The programme begins in the air: a 200 km flight from Cairns up the coast and over the Great Barrier Reef to Lizard Island, a landing on the island airstrip, a tender out to the vessel — and two dives on the upper Ribbon Reefs the same day. That evening comes a ten-hour crossing to Osprey Reef in the Coral Sea: an old volcanic atoll 220 km offshore with thousand-metre walls, huge soft corals and visibility from 30 to 100 metres. Two days on Osprey, including the shark dive at North Horn, where grey reef and silvertip sharks gather in a natural amphitheatre. The final day is spent at Ribbon Reef No. 3 — Steve's Bommie, Temple of Doom and Flare Point — or, in the right weather, at Bougainville Reef with its caverns and partly submerged wreck. Up to 15 dives, one of them at night. Level: Advanced Open Water with 20 dives. Baggage capped at 20 kg because of the flight.

September 2026
1 departure
November 2026
3 departures

Cod Hole + Coral Sea (Cairns — Cairns)

The full programme: the three-night and four-night routes joined into one trip. Departs Cairns at noon on Thursdays and returns the following Thursday morning, sailing both legs — there is no flight here and no baggage limit. It starts with the Ribbon Reefs and the Cod Hole, a BBQ in Watson's Bay on Saturday evening and a walk on Lizard Island on Sunday at the halfway point, then an overnight crossing to Osprey Reef and two days in the Coral Sea with the shark dive at North Horn, where 30–40 sharks typically gather. The last day is spent at Ribbon Reef No. 3 or at Bougainville Reef. Up to 26 dives in total, two of them at night. Level: Advanced Open Water with 20 dives.

November 2026
1 departure
December 2026
4 departures

Prices and availability can change. Get in touch and we'll confirm current dates and pricing.

Included in Price

VAT (GST)
Environment tax and marine park fees
Cairns hotel transfers both ways
Flight to or from Lizard Island on the three- and four-night trips
Full board — all meals and snacks
Drinking water, tea and coffee
One complimentary drink with dinner — wine, beer or a soft drink
Dive package — cylinders, air fills, weights and weight belt
Nautilus Lifeline beacon
Torch and cyalume sticks for night dives
Mask, snorkel, fins and boots
Snorkelling equipment
Cabin towels
Toiletries
Daily cabin service
Wi-Fi when in range
Excess luggage storage at the Cairns office

Not Included

Equipment rental
Nitrox
Dive courses on board
Drinks outside dinner service
Seasickness tablets
Souvenirs
Airport pick-up on arrival day — the vessel only runs airport drop-offs on return

Required extras

Fuel surcharge — AUD 10 / day

Optional extras

Full equipment rental — BCD, regulator, computer, wetsuit, mask, fins, boots, torch — AUD 155 / 205 / 355 for 3 / 4 / 7 nights
32% nitrox as a whole-trip package — AUD 129 / 175 / 289 for 3 / 4 / 7 nights
Nitrox course — AUD 295–325
Dive courses — AUD 375–405
Private dive guide — AUD 650–750
Alcoholic and soft drinks outside dinner service
Gratuities — entirely optional

Extras are shown per person and are paid on board.

Spirit of Freedom

from 2906 EUR / 7 nights

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