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Please post any comments that you might have about our boat, trip or web page here. They will be available to all visitors, and will not be answered individually. Thank you, Buddy
Comment by: Visitor (2/17/2010 4:55:40 PM) Buddy,
I am the new owner of 6052, the 4th 60. I met you and your wife at the boat show over here in Florida when you had AF in the show. I was in Panama about 10 days ago when you were in the Flamenco Marina. I came down to the boat but the two of you were cleaning the bottom from what I saw. Anyhow I noticed that you were missing your two windows at the aft corners of the pilothouse. What happened. Hope to see you in our travels. Beth and I take delivery in about a month. Our boat has the same color hull as AF as a result of our visit to your boat at that show. Its going to be named Relish. Birge and Beth Sigety
Comment by: Visitor (4/20/2009 12:36:05 PM) You have a beautiful boat. You had to have spent hundreds of hours of preparation for not only ordering AF, but just as many hours planning the trips you've taken aboard her. In reading your posts on your website, it's clear you are a very intelligent and meticulous person.
Yet with all of this, you didn't know you couldn't dock AF behind your own home? And with the love you seemed to have for her, you were not willing to drive an hour to a marina where she could be moored?
As does everyone that reads your Journal, I wish you the best. But, one can't help to wonder if there is another reason for you wanting to sell your beautiful boat.
Comment by: Visitor (11/16/2008 9:43:27 AM) I never really read your journal, but I just wanted to let you know that because of "Always Friday" I am now hooked on Nordhavn. My son and I visited your boat at the Annapolis boat show a few weeks ago and I cant stop thinking about it. I had been looking at Sea Ray express bridges and then I saw your boat. My mind did a complete about face when I went through your boat. I have never seen any boat I would like to live on until I saw AF. It was stunning. I just read about your situation with the draft of the boat and I feel extremely sorry for you. At least you were able to take the trip of a lifetime. I hope to be able to afford a NH in a short time. I dont know if I could ever swing a 55, but maybe a smaller one with less of a draft requirement would be better. We went on a 47 that was right next to AF and we loved it too. Good luck with your next boat! I own a chocolate manufacturing company in Staten Island, NY. Please stop and pick up some free chocolate if your in the neighborhood. I would love to meet you both.
Mike, Debbie, Melissa and Mike jr. and the hounds.
mikek@supcf.com is my email.
Comment by: Visitor (6/9/2008 6:17:49 PM) Hi Buddy & Kathy-
I was an every-day follower of your trip after getting a call to help clear the deficiency noted by a Coast Guard boarding in Oregon. I'm a Coast Guard lawyer in Seattle and had recently moved down from Anchorage, so I was further intrigued. To cap it all off, my Dad is a huge fan of Nordhavn so I had no choice but to follow your adventure!
As others have said, congratulations on your most excellent adventure. Your website not only allowed others to ride along in jealousy and amazement, but it created a fantastic scrap book to remind you of your great memories and to share them with family and friends forever.
You have inspired me to work towards a similar goal. I see AF is for sale. Sadly, as a LCDR with two little kids, I don't think we're quite ready yet! Maybe some day ...
Best of luck with the sale and in the purchase of a new boat. How about a Hinckley Picnic Boat??
Regards,
LCDR M
Comment by: Visitor (6/5/2008 5:45:13 AM) While visiting the Nordhaven Web Site, I checked on the boats that were for sale. I was shocked to see Always Frieday listed for sale. If this is the last of your boating adventures, YOU WILL BE MISSED.
Ray Lake, Thomasville, NC
Comment by: Visitor (3/26/2008 9:09:20 PM) Congratulations. We met at our home in Harbour Ridge. We live next to Doug and Pat Perry and were in the process of having our annual welcome back Village party when we had the pleasure of meeting you both. Your journal was a delight to read, especially the ICW part. We have a 54 Offshore and have made the Ct to Fla run 11 times, most outside but on occasion inside and that seems to get worse every year.
Jack and Laura Forde
Comment by: Visitor (3/19/2008 12:40:10 AM) Kathy and Buddy, We're excited for you to be going home! What a great adventure you've had. We are still in the Bahamas and plan to return to Florida April 1 so may see you a few weeks later, unless you're off on another exciting trip.
Sally and Oliver and Marina
Comment by: Visitor (3/16/2008 8:45:30 PM) Kathy and Buddy, we are so thrilled to have met you when you docked at Harbour Ridge. You two are doing what most people dream of doing and with such elegance and class. We wish you safe home and hope we are able to say in touch. Diane and Ed Nelson
Comment by: visitor (3/16/2008 12:58:52 PM)
Tillamook, OR
Comment by: Visitor (3/11/2008 10:13:15 PM)
AS ALWAYS, THE GREENES HAD A BALL ON AF AGAIN!! I HOPE WHEN THE FAT LADY SINGS THAT SHE WILL ONLY KNOW ONE STANZA! WE DO NOT WANT THE SHOCK OF COMING HOME TO BE A TOTAL SCARE! THE REAL WORLD IS NOT TOO BAD! THINK ABOUT ALL OF US THAT HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU TO RETURN TO REALITY!! THANKS FOR INCLUDING US ON PART OF YOUR TRAVELS! WE HAVE A FEW DAYS OF WONDERFUL MEMORIES WITH DEAR FRIENDS AND YOU HAVE VOLUMES OF MEMORIES THAT SPAN OVER A YEAR WITH NEW FRIENDS!! AIN'T WE LUCKY TO BE WHO WE ARE!!! LOVE YA SUSAN AND PHIL
Comment by: Visitor (3/7/2008 8:38:35 AM)
Please don't stop when you get home! My life will revert to the mundane without the Journal of ALWAYS FRIDAY! You have said many times that the boat is your magic carpet. Well, you are our magic carpet, and we don't want to get off!
Thanks for the ride!
Richard Riley
London, England
Comment by: Visitor (3/7/2008 8:28:06 AM)
Just to say Hi and Thank you.
Hello to you four, two people and two dogs, I hope this finds you all in good health. I have been reading you Blog as often as you post it. I am a disabled Vet and this is what I do because I can't do much but survive and play on the internet. So, I have been following you and Ken Williams and your exploits. I would have loved to have taken the trips that both you and Ken have taken. Please keep up your writing on your adventures that you undertake. You really do an exceptional job of writing. As a matter of fact you should think about a book. I think it would do very well. So far you have been a very good writer since you have kept my interest!
Calm seas, safe harbors, keep the mast pointing up and your keel down.
Always safe passages!
Thanks again,
An avid follower
Ray Lake
Comment by: Visitor (3/5/2008 7:09:59 PM)
Twenty years of what is important, yee ha!
Comment by: Visitor (2/26/2008 11:40:38 PM)
Buddy and Kathy
As I read the comments on your web page of those of us here in Alaska that had the opportunity to meet and know you here last summer, it has caused me to reflect on the effect that your presence in our lives had on those of us that take Alaska's beauty somewhat for granted. I have lived here for over forty years, but only when I read your vivid descriptions of what is always right around me did I again appreciate the magnificance of Alaska! We have seen tourists by the thousands come and go, which makes me sure that you should never be considered one of them. You brought more to Alaska than you took home with you. I have read and reread your writings of our wilderness, and found within your words a rare feeling that you were truly a man of this state. We were all very sorry to see ALWAYS FRIDAY leave for home, and all hope that you will agan return one day to your log cabin of your dreams. Alaska is better when you are here - please come back home to Icy Strait soon!
The "Old Man" at Elfin Cove, Alaska
As you start closing in on home I just wanted to insert my $0.02 and thank you for the "ride". I've been following you since your commissioning and have enjoyed every one of your posts. You have brought the entire journey alive. My wife and I cruised on a cruise ship in Alaska so I knew a little bit about some of the spots - but nothing like you've told us. We also transited the Panama Canal - but again, nothing like you've related to us.
You'll be passing me in a few days - I'm only a few miles south of Port Canavaral but I probably won't get the chance to stop by and say thank you in person. I'll be watching the web site for a long time, just waiting for every update.
Thanks again,
Harry W
Comment by: Visitor (2/24/2008 11:56:51 PM)
February 24, 2008
Well your journey is almost over. What am I going to do while I have my morning cup of tea without AF’s journal? Maybe you can keep it going—Raleigh and Binky’s squirrel tally, Kathy’s cooking and shopping exploits, and knowing Buddy he could meet five new friends and have several notable adventures just going to the store to buy a loaf of bread. You would probably find him in the back of the bakery helping to make it! We will miss you greatly in and around Glacier Bay this summer. Please know that you are always welcome. I don’t have a boat to compare with the Always Friday (not many do), but I’m sure we could find some toys to play with and a hook to hang your raingear on.
Craig Forgaard
Gustavus Alaska
Comment by: Visitor (2/23/2008 11:00:48 PM)
Buddy and Kathy
My wife and I left Miami with the impresssion that ALWAYS FRIDAY was the best boat in the show, and perfect for our future plans! The hour that you two spent with us saved us from a mistake that we were about to make, and redirected our thoughts to a Nordhavn 55! For that we are very thankful.
Your hospitality was wonderful, and we have never seen a sales person that knew as much about a boat as you two know about yours!
Thanks,
Mark and Sandra B.
Buddy, I know by now it may sound cliche (judging by the responses on your web page), but the visit aboard your Nordhavn yacht during the Miami Boat Show has opened up the world of passage-making. We had future plans of buying the requisite RV and driving off into the sunset. Now we will be casting off and seeing the world. Since the closing of the boat show we have been researching trawler yachts, and we always come back to Nordhavn.
Thank you,
Dr. David Fulcher LCDR USNR (retired)
Comment by: Visitor (2/20/2008 6:32:49 PM)
Dear Buddy, the tour of your boat during the Miami boat show has at last convinced my wife that life CAN be more than a condo and a Nordhavn 40. I love my 40, but I REALLY love your 55 and want to live the cruising life aboard one, and now so does my wife. Thanks for the tour, your hospitality was the highlight of the show for us.
Mary and Ernie Martinez
N40 hull #30
Comment by: Visitor (2/18/2008 9:37:00 AM)
ALWAYS FRIDAY - The best boat in the Show!
Thanks
Comment by: Visitor (2/17/2008 9:14:05 AM)
Buddy - Thank you for showing us your beautiful boat here in Miami yesterday. We came to the show with three different boat builders in mind and left with only one a clear winner. Your knowledge of the boat, grand experiences onboard her and your willingness to show us the details of her construction gave us enough information to know that a Nordhavn will be our next boat. We hope to follow in the footsteps of you and Kathy someday. You and your boat have made a real difference in our lives.
Thank you very much! Joe and Martha
PS: We read your website for three hours last night and loved it!
Comment by: Visitor (2/12/2008 4:40:50 PM)
Buddy - You and Kathy and your amazing journey have captivated us since you left California last year! Mary and I are 65 years old and and enjoying retirement - or we thought we were until we saw what you were doing with your lives! You have so inspired us that we now await Passagemakers magazines's arrival in the book store each month. We plan to buy a boat, hire a captain, and go to Alaska like you two did within the next year or so. We are looking at both previously owned boats and new ones, but we have not yet been to a show where Nordhavn was represented. Here is the news. We are coming to Miami to see you, Kathy and ALWAYS FRIDAY! You have changed our lives. Thank you both.
John and Mary M. Nebraska
Comment by: Jim Walker (2/5/2008 4:02:20 PM)
We were treated like dogs on Always Friday!
Many of us have fantasized about the next life and what we might like to be, the most frequent fantasy I have heard is “I want to come back as my children”. From July 14 to 21, my wife Lisa and I came to the conclusion that coming back as Raleigh and Binky might be an even better future. What a life! Sleep, eat, and play. It suits us perfectly!
The Boat Buddy has described the boat in great detail on his site but like Alaska, words can’t really capture the essence of it. It is a meticulously engineered vessel that is packed with redundancy all with a view to saving your life if there were an “event” on a transoceanic crossing. Very utilitarian; not really. This boat is elegant, comfortable, and soothing. The workmanship is well beyond anything built in the Carolinas. I am most familiar with the typical eastern sportfishers and from the gelcoat to the joinery; this Nordhavn is well beyond what I am used to seeing. So it’s luxurious, yes but. It is technically overwhelming. NASA would be envious of the computing power floating on this baby. Dual auto pilots, dual radars, triple chart plotters, more compasses than I could count, infrared night vision, satellite radio, satellite telephony, satellite television, GPS receives to monitor GPS receivers and cameras to monitor all parts of the boat from the pilot house or the sky bridge, except my stateroom, of course. I’m sure I’ve left something out but if you know Buddy you know he didn’t. If you’re fearful of the water there is no need to fear a passage here. Buddy could pilot this boat around the world from his desk in the Wainwright building.
Alaska The license plates say “The Last Frontier”. It must be. I imagine Virginia was some what like this 300 years ago. It is pristine with very little evidence of the spoils of man. We saw a moose, 2 brown bears, a wolf, countless bald eagles and humpback whales, harbor seals, sea lions, otters and 2 orcas.
The depth sounder was constantly alive with schools of salmon and herring, a fisherman’s dream. We caught two halibut (dinner) in just a few minutes of fishing. The air is clean, the sky clear, the water as God meant it to be. As we sat and watched Margerie Glacier shed herself into the bay, I wondered why it had taken me 58 years to get here. The most beautiful place I have ever been!
In beautiful downtown Gustavus, population a few hundred, the General Store sign reminded all of a healthy fine if the rental DVD was late. I asked the clerk if there was forgiveness during a snow storm. She very politely told me they don’t have snow storms. “It starts snowing in October and stops in March”. The total was 20 odd feet in the 06/07 season, and this is southern Alaska! It must have been beautiful. At 85 degrees north 20 foot tides are the norm so currents and depths can be challenging. No worry, Buddy has a piece of software that calculates the perfect time to leave to minimize the effects of tides and currents.
The Hospitality If the measure of a great resort is the staff to guest ratio then Always Friday must set the record. I felt at times like there were 2 guests, Lisa and myself and 2 staff Buddy and Kathy. We had a private cruise ship for our personal Alaska vacation. Gourmet meals, elegant accommodations, and an experienced crew that was anxious to see that we enjoyed every moment.
Buddy has never met a stranger so we found ourselves pulling crab pots with Craig, a local (Dungeness crab cakes for dinner, thank you Kathy) or having a drink with Steve, the founder of Red Robin, in a cove 100 miles from civilization. Only Buddy can meet people in the middle of nowhere. He collected more dinner invitations while I was there than he could ever honor.
Rereading this I see how hopeless it is to capture all that we did or that was done for us. This may capture it: While I was rinsing the boat at Elfin Cove a lady walked by and asked if the boat was mine, I replied, “No, it’s my doctors.” Her reply: “You must have really been sick.” No but I do have a really great doctor! It may be too late for you to see Alaska the way Lisa and I did but it’s not to late to spend some time with this fabulous couple on this incredible boat. Just do it!
Jim & Lisa Walker
Comment by: Visitor (2/4/2008 12:40:59 PM)
Thoughts on my experience from Grand Cayman to Key West aboard Always Friday
As a guest aboard “Always Friday” I was allowed to enjoy an event in life that few will ever get to experience! As many things in life are reserved only for those that have experienced it (such as piloting an aircraft), is was truly a life enriching time to be on the upper deck of AF on night watch. To see the Cosmos without the light pollution of modern life is just amazing. To watch as the sea provided its own light show as bio-luminance streamed off the bow was by its self worth the trip! A feeling of deep calm and the joy of life overwhelms the soul. And finally to have friends in life to enjoy the journey just sums up a great item to put on everyone’s “Bucket List”. Thanks again to my dear friends, Buddy, Kathy, Raleigh & Binky
BTW: my next boat will be a NH-55!
Sincerely Jeff Hawkins
Comment by: Visitor (2/4/2008 5:41:27 AM)
OUR TRIP WITH BUDDY AND KATHY HAS BEEN IN THE MAKING FOR 2 YEARS AND THE REALITY OF THE ADVENTURE FINALLY CAME TO BE, LAST MARCH. WE WERE OFFICIALLY INVITED TO JOIN THEM ON BOARD “ALWAYS FRIDAY”. WHAT AN EXCITING TIME WE HAD PLANNING OUR VOYAGE AND ACTUALLY MET THEM IN AUKE BAY, ALASKA IN JUNE 2007. PHIL AND I ARRIVED AND HAD NO LUGGAGE! AFTER A SHORT TAXI RIDE TO THE DOCK WHERE OUR FRIENDS WERE WAITING ON US, WE REALIZED WE WERE IN PARADISE. WHO CARED IF WE HAD NO LUGGAGE! “ALWAYS FRIDAY” WAS A DREAM COME TRUE WITH ALL OF THE COMFORTS OF HOME. THE RELAXED ACCOMMODATIONS AND COMPANY OF WONDERFUL FRIENDS WAS ALL THAT WE NEEDED FOR OUR WEEK VACATION.
BUDDY HAD EVERYTHING PLANNED AND KATHY HAD THE GALLEY STOCKED COMPLETELY. THE SCENERY WAS A PHOTOGRAPHER’S DREAM COME TRUE. I COULD NEVER DESCRIBE TO YOU THE BEAUTY THAT SURROUNDED US FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP. THE SIGHTS THAT WE SAW WERE PHENOMENAL. I STILL MARVEL AT OUR PHOTOS AND FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT WE REALLY WERE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE MANY WHALE SIGHTINGS, THE MAGNIFICENT WATERFALLS, THE ADORABLE SEALS, THE PICTURESQUE SUNSETS AND SUNRISES, THE FISHING EXPERIENCE THAT PHIL AND BUDDY SHARED, AND THE BEAUTIFUL PORTS THAT WE VISITED.
WE WOULD NEVER HAVE TURNED DOWN THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THIS TRIP WITH SUCH DEAR FRIENDS. IN FACT, WE ARE SOMEWHAT JEALOUS THAT THEY HAVE HAD A YEAR OF UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES ABOARD THEIR BEAUTIFUL YACHT. “ALWAYS FRIDAY” IS A HOME AWAY FROM HOME AND LIVING WITH THE BETHEA’S FOR A WEEK ON “AF” WAS A CHAPTER IN OUR LIVES THAT WE WILL REMEMBER AND BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT FOR A LIFETIME.
“AF” HAS ALL OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT KATHY AND I HAVE NEEDED TO STAY IN TOUCH OVER THE LAST YEAR, THANK GOODNESS. KATHY AND I USUALLY TALK SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK AND SOMETIMES SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. “AF” HAD THE COMMUNICATION TOOLS TO KEEP US IN TOUCH FROM ALASKA ALL THE WAY DOWN AND AROUND AND BACK UP TO FLORIDA. I ALMOST SAID VIRGINIA, AND THAT IS WHERE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE NOW (FEBRUARY), BUT THEY HAVE TAKEN ANOTHER DETOUR AND ARE EXPERIENCING THE MIAMI BOAT SHOW. “ALWAYS FRIDAY” IS ON DISPLAY! WHAT AN HONOR TO BE ASKED TO SHOW THIS EXQUISITE YACHT!
RALEIGH AND BINKY ARE REAL SAILORS BY NOW AND THEY WILL NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN THEY GET THEIR LITTLE PAWS BACK ON SOLID GROUND AGAIN! I AM TELLING YOU, WORDS CANNOT DESCRIBE THE DAYS AND NIGHTS THAT WE SPENT WITH BUDDY, KATHY, RALEIGH, BINKY AND THE FRIENDS THAT WE MET GOING IN AND OUT OF PORTS!
PHIL AND I HAVE BUILT A MOUNTAIN HOUSE AND HOPE TO SHARE OUR NEW HOME WITH BUDDY AND KATHY WHEN THEY COME BACK TO REALITY! I AM AFRAID THAT THIS WILL BE HARD FOR THEM TO DO!!! HOW NICE IT WILL BE TO HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS FOR ALL OF US!!
SUSAN AND PHIL GREENE
ALBANY, GA
Comment by: Visitor (2/4/2008 5:31:33 AM)
Kathy and Buddy
If you write a book, I will buy it! It would be hard for a writer of fiction to equal the adventure that has taken you from one end of the nothern hemisphere to the other, with you journal allowing us landlubbers to enjoy the trek as if we were onboard ALWAYS FRIDAY with you! The maritime skills of you two are impressive, but your ability to transfer the enthusiasm of your expereinces to paper are equally impressive, and unique among the travel writings that I have read. It has become part of my morning routine to pour my coffee and check the computer for updates to ALWAYS FRIDAY's log. When your journey finally ends in Virgina, many of us feel as if we will get off the boat with you! Thanks for the trip!
Good luck and fair seas,
Wendell Dell
NYC
Comment by: Visitor (2/4/2008 12:03:08 AM)
Jeane and Doug MacPherson were onboard for the leg from Dana Point to San Blas, Panama and Grand Cayman and had a great opportunity to sail with Buddy and Kathy. (and Binky and Raleigh) Buddy is a dedicated person and has really taken this long range trawler style to heart. He is very fortunate to have Kathy backing him up all the way.
That boat is a solid contender for all the prizes. I have been sailing since I was 15 years old and Jeane is an experienced hand, having crossed the North Pacific in February and we were both impressed by the quality and reliability of the Nordhavn yacht. On the leg from Panama to Grand Cayman we had three very hard days but everything held together just like it was supposed to. Nordhavn's style and system is dead on.
Hope to sail with them again sometime.
Comment by: Visitor (2/3/2008 6:08:24 AM)
Buddy, Kathy, Raleigh & Binky
We have followed your journey with true fascination since you left Dana Point last Spring. You probably don't remember us, but you were kind enough to show my wife and me (and our dog!) your beautiful boat while it was being made ready for your epic voyage. After seeing ALWAYS FRIDAY, we commented that if any boat could fulfill the goals that you had set for your trip, that one could! Now that you have done what many of us would have considered nearly impossible, you must be very proud of yourselves and the boat that took you so far safely. We had always hoped to see Alaska by cruise ship, but you have opened our eyes to what an adventure it would be to see it from our own boat. Our twenty years of owning a sailboat may be coming to an end, as we have been going to the boat shows for the main purpose of looking at boats like yours in the hopes of following in at least some of your footsteps. Thanks for awakening us to the fact that life is too short to waste it in a lounge chair!
Rod, Margureta and Sadi
Comment by: Visitor (2/2/2008 11:23:56 PM)
Kathy,Buddy and the Hounds,
Your trip is proof that your vessel is worthy of the task you gave her. What a opportunity in life to meet the crew of ALWAYS FRIDAY and recieve a tour through a fine, fine vessel. A lot of thought went into ALWAYS FRIDAY that would make any Captian and crew smile...While the Always Friday toured Alaska, that's what Kathy Buddy and the Hounds did -- smile, which made them near and dear to everyone they met, including us. We look forward to watching the adventures of Always Friday and crew, they are an inclusive package, with an exciting future.... Paul and Tami from Gull Cove Alaska
Comment by: Visitor (2/2/2008 4:55:27 PM)
Buddy & Kathy
Those of us who had the pleasure of meeting you here in Alaska want you to know that you will be missed here next summer. Never have I seen a visiting boat attract the attention that ALWAYS FRIDAY did here in Auke Harbor during your three months here last year. It was not just the beautiful boat, but also the infectious smile and genuine interest that you and Kathy showed in those of us that love Alaska as much as you do. The yellow boat and the "guys from the east coast" will be talked about long after you are back in Virginia. Thanks for coming to see us. You made Alaska even better while you were here. You are welcome back anytime!
Dave and Genine
Comment by: Visitor (2/2/2008 5:38:42 AM)
I meet Buddy and Kathy in Auke bay, Alaska. They were very friendly and welcoming. Buddy joined us on an adventure as we headed to the fishing grounds for a commercial opening. It was an enjoyable experience on both hands. Buddy learning how things are done in our world. and us being able to teach and show Buddy how things work in the commercial fishing field.
During the many time I was aboard Always Friday, I was always struck by the great quality of craftsmanship and design. I was a supervisor of the shipwrights at Christiansen yachts in Vancouver, Wa. and the quality of Always Friday was outstanding, excedeing in many forms the work I had seen at Christiansen.
After seeing the quality of Nordhaven design and craftsmanship of PAE, I am looking forward to owning one of their vessels in the future.
I wish Buddy, Kathy and every Always Friday guest the best of travels and hopes for unforgetable experiences.
-Ian
F/V HADASSAH
Comment by: Visitor (2/1/2008 9:16:55 PM)
Bobby and Margo Taylor experienced a bit of heaven on earth when we spent a week aboard AF in August, 2007. We had experienced Alaska before on a cruise ship and a camping trip, but the beauty of Alaska spread before us on the AF trip as few people are fortunate enough to experience. The icing on the cake was to do so from the luxury of a wonderfully comfortable home onboard a Nordhaven.
The salmon were running and one night as we anchored in a beautiful secluded cove; we cast our lines (sans bait) and caught our dinner. Another day while exploring the park around Mendenhol Glacier, we experienced the thrill - and, yes, a bit of terror - as a mama bear and her two cubs passed within fifty yards of us. We watched as she fished for salmon to feed her cubs. As we journeyed on the water one day, we found ourselves surrounded by a pod of whales. Always we saw eagles, porpoise, deer, moose and seals. If one ever doubted there is a God, Alaska will confirm His preence.
Kathy is a gourmet cook and managed to feed us elegant meals from a small galley, albeit, a well furnished one. Buddy's expertise at the wheel and with navigational understanding instilled confidence in us since the vastness of Alaska can be intimidating.
The downside to all of this - we will never be satisfied with any other way of seeing Alaska.
Margo and Bob
Comment by: Visitor (2/1/2008 12:33:28 PM)
We live near Garibaldi, Oregon, a small town on the North Oregon Coast. One nice day last September I was returning to the docks after fishing. I rounded the final corner and there sat the gorgeous Always Friday 55 Nordhavn. Lucky for me it was docked right across from my slip so I started checking it out. From the pilot house came a voice asking how fishing had been. The voice was that of owner/captain Buddy Bethea. We talked briefly and he then asked me aboard. This was a real treat to me because most of the people who come into our port in yachts tend to keep to themselves. I went on board and met Buddy's wife Kathy, and their two pet companions Raleigh and Bunky. After only a few minutes it seemed like I had known them for many years. It was clear from the start that Buddy knew his vessel well and kept it immaculate. What a beautiful boat.
They were staying overnight so I invited them to dinner at one of our local eateries. We had a great meal and and even greater discussion. At one point Buddy asked me if I would be able to join them on their journey back home. I was so surprised by the invite that I had to really do a double take to make sure it was real. I said yes and early the next morning we left the port of Garibaldi, bound for Newport, OR. This is a treat that most people never get to experience. Our house sits on the enttance to Garibaldi so I was able to wave to my wife as we passed by. She later said it was a beautiful sight as the Nordhavn shone in the early morning sun. The ocean swells were running 10-15 feet from the Northwest but the Nordhavn made it seem like it was flat. Buddy showed me all the instruments and it was clear he new exactly how it all worked. We had a wonderful trip and after docking at Newport they asked if my wife Toni could join us for the next leg. She got on board at Newport and we headed South for Coos Bay, Oregon. During that leg there were wonderful converstions amongst all. Again, what a treat.
We departed Buddy and Kathy at Coos Bay and it was like leaving old friends. I hope someday I can return the favor to them.
Comment by: Visitor (2/1/2008 6:55:53 AM)
Hello Kathy, Buddy, Raleigh & Binky!
My wife and I just discovered your journal after seeing ALWAYS FRIDAY featured on the Nordhavn home page. We have been fighting each other for the computer ever since in order to read every word of your adventure of the past year! Your fascinating journal reads like a best selling adventure novel. I stayed up reading until 3 AM, and couldn't wait until the next day to read some more. I can only imagine how much fun it was to actually live that life! We are about three years from an early retirement, and had planned to travel extensively by RV. At dinner tonight, my wife and I decided to reconsider our mode of future travel, and take to the water behind you and Kathy. I don't know what you did for a living before, but you should have been a preacher! I can tell you that your brave adventure has changed our view of life, and altered our future plans in a way that we would not have thought possible before we saw you two do the impossible!
Thank you for your insipration!
Ben and Jae Robins
Dallas, Texas
Comment by: Visitor (1/31/2008 9:13:40 AM)
Hello Buddy & Kathy
My wife Sharon and I met you at Auke Bay Harbor after we returned from a week long mothership kayaking cruise onboard Abyssinia with Kim and Eric. On our return you obliged us by taking a group photo along with a couple from New Zealand. You can now add to your accomplishments the honor of having your photography skills published in a New Zealand kayaking magazine. The photo you took for us was selected for the article written by the our new friends, Ron and Mary, who accompanied us on our kayak adventure. Speaking of adventure, we have followed your adventure since our return from Alaska in July. We had enjoyed reading your blog. On your return to the Middle Atlantic Region, should you be hailed by a Kadey Krogen pilothouse trawler by the name of "Big Run" that would be us. Enjoy the balance of your adventure and by the time your return to Virginia Beach it will be in time for spring and you may find yourself saying - Why stop here, let's keep going.
Good luck
Bob & Sharon
M/V Big Run
Comment by: Visitor (1/30/2008 11:31:00 PM)
Hello Buddy & Kathy
Your trip has been an inspiration to all of us that think there is some reason that we can't follow in your adventuresome footsteps! We are now reconsidering the plausability of seeing Alaska as you two have, and for that we thank you very much! We had never heard of a Nordhavn until we saw yours, and now it is a part of our dreams for the near future!
If (or when) we see Glacier Bay from our own boat, we will have you two to thank for waking us up to the spirit of "can do" in our life!
Thank you very Much!
Zeke and Marie
Denver, CO
Comment by: Visitor (1/29/2008 1:31:31 PM)
Hi Buddy,
I very much enjoy reading of your adventures in travel.Some day my wife and I would like to travel as you are doing right now. Thanks again for allowing us a window into the world of cruising.
Scott Johnson
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