The Historic Schooner Curlew

What a unique experience on board. This is not an Odyssey or Spirit type of a boat cruise, with food, bar, or live band. It’s a sailing ship, plain and simple.
The crew was very knowledgeable and great seeing how a sailing vessel works. We had a large group with seniors, kids, and toddlers. Everyone had an enjoyable time, especially seeing so many Dolphins! It’s not your typical luxury boat with padded seats. Your sitting on the boat floor, or some benches, or standing up.
Make sure to get here early as parking is quite limited with a 4 hour parking lot, which is shared by many restaurants.

An awesome time with a great crew. This accommodated a large family gathering (over 30 people) and there was a lot of room. What I really appreciated was they found a large pool of dolphins swimming in the far distance and increased the speed of the boat so we can see them. Some of them were on the side of the boat. How cool is that!

Unforgettable late afternoon sail with our entire extended family with a party of 30+, including a sizeable number of young kids and several seniors. The skipper and crew were friendly and helpful and clearly knew what they were doing. We set sail and headed south, and enjoyed wonderful views of the South Coast and had multiple encounters with sizeable pods of playful dolphins. Everyone had a great time, and no one got seasick — win/​win!

We had a memorial service on the Curlew. The whole family was so happy with the boat and crew and the whole experience.

I used the Curlew crew for my parents funeral services. The experience was fantastic. The crew was very friendly and very professional during the trip. They walked us through everything that would happen and were right on time with everything. Considering the circumstances, it was great and I would highly recommend the curlew for this type of service.

Captain Bob Harrison and his crew were very professional and hospitable, and made our time sailing with a group of 23 today an awesome experience. I would highly recommend chartering Curlew for any event whether entertaining clients, having a party with friends or just about any other occasion. The crew was friendly, got people involved with sailing the boat, raising sails, and had good conversation and experience to share with our group, and made sure everyone was comfortable. There was a ship doctor aboard, too… just in case. We even came upon a large pod of dolphins which topped off a great trip coming back into port.

5 Stars all the way! My husband and I sailed with Captain Bob and the Curlew Crew on one of their Saturday Sunset Sails, summer of 2011. The experience was awesome! The snacks they provide are fresh and tasty, the crew is friendly and engaging and the Schooner is simply beautiful. We will be back.

Awesome

We went on the Curlew for my son’s friend’s Birthday Party. The crew was so friendly. We saw a pod of dolphins and a sunfish. They had all the sails up and it was so comfortable. Truly a great experience. The boys were delighted. I would definitely recommend.

Went on a business event. This is a very good operation. The boat is beautiful! Originally built in 1926, it is an original tall ship. The owner/​captain is very experienced and professional.
Highly recommend using Curlew if you want a great sailing experience in Southern California.

Our entire family – ages 1 to… well beyond – 3 generations and 11 people sailed with the Curlew. It was a highlight of our trip. The crew was knowledgeable and engaging. They were very attentive to our crew of kids. We loved the sail, learning about the area and feel like we made new friends. A definite experience if you are in the Newport Coast area! Thanks Captain Bob!

We celebrated my friend’s 30^th bday this past Saturday with The Schooner Curlew, Captain Bob, and his crew. There were ~20 people celebrating and the trip was nothing short of amazing. Not just is sailing fun, but the crew was great with their customer service. I mean the service felt more like they were friends or family hosting their own guests than they did workers. They even had a doctor on the ship who was helpful for those who got seasick (including me), ensuring they didn’t get fully seasick (yay!). The crew all had quite interesting stories themselves, so it was great to get to know them. They helped us serve food that we brought on board and were very personable (but not intrusive). The ship is historic, very-​well maintained for its age (a 1926 schooner!), and beautiful. Very spacious for the large group we had. We saw dolphins on the way out (not just 1, but a few!) and that was amazing! I have nothing but great things to say about the crew and our experience; everyone afterwards continued to rave about our excursion and the birthday girl enjoyed her very special day. I would definitely use Curlew Charters again and am looking forward to setting sail some time soon!