Captain Brendan Emmons

Freedom Crew Profiles

Captain: Brendan Emmons

Born in Northern New Jersey in a small town called Allendale, raised going down the Jersey shore every weekend to enjoy boating. After graduating high school early, he started his own business at the young age of sixteen. After doing this and working for his family business for many years, he decided the ocean was his calling after several trips to Fort Lauderdale. He started out as a delivery mate at the age of eighteen on a trip from Florida to Boston, MA and quickly moved up to the captain position before the trip had even ended. Captaining for 10 years now, he has gained a lot of wisdom and insight into the yachting world. He has run boats in five countries, along with experience from Maine to Key West. Brendan and his wife have been a team since 2017, where they have learned and grown together. Brendan holds his Master 200/500-ton license and looks forward to creating a safe and memorable experience for his charter guests aboard motor yacht Freedom!

Chief Stewardess: Julie Emmons

Born and raised in the small town of Ramsey, New Jersey, Julie grew up enjoying time at the beach and doing water sports. She graduated from SUNY Cortland where she completed her bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education. After teaching and coaching gymnastics for several years, she met Brendan and decided it was time to join him in the yachting industry. She has completed her STCW training, as well as bartending courses. Julie enjoys reading, hiking, swimming, and water sports in her free time. She is excited to give guests aboard Freedom the experience of a lifetime, by creating a warm and welcoming environment. With Julie’s friendly personality and amazing organizational skills, Freedom’s guests are sure to be enjoying their experience!

Mate: Molly Gates

Molly was born and raised in Chicago but has a love for travel and meeting people from all over. Growing up on Lake Michigan, she spent her summers swimming, tubing, waterskiing, and more. She joined the sailing team in high school, and seven years later, she hasn’t gotten off boats since. In between studying at the University of Dayton, Molly spent her summers in Chicago running a boat washing business throughout all the Chicago Harbors, crewing for various private and charter boats, and even ran a charter company in Summer of 2021. Now, she has completed her STCW course and is ready to use her knowledge of boating and her love of travel into the yachting industry. Molly’s favorite thing about her career is connecting with guests, so she can’t wait to help make an unforgettable experience for every guest that comes on board Freedom!