It’s been almost a year since my last blog, mostly because Seabird has been sitting at Old Port Cove in Florida waiting to be sold. Boats like ours are meant to be cruised and provide countless adventures for its owners. Seabird has done all of that and more over the 15 years that we have owned her.
On May 31, we passed the ownership papers to her new owner. Both Carol and I had mixed emotions about it. We were sad to see her go, but happy to see the excitement in the eyes of the new owners. We recall that feeling 15 years and 60,000 miles ago, like it was yesterday.
Interestingly enough, the most memorable things about our cruising were not fighting the giant waves in the Bering Sea or anchoring in exotic places. Most memorable were the people we met along the way. When you stay in a location for months at a time, you begin to blend with the culture. People start to accept you and you become friends. We loved that part, whether it was Central America, Alaska, Japan, Southeast Asia or the Med. We made many friends who will remain our friends for the rest of our lives.
Thanks also to the the readers of this blog. There have been, on average, over 5000 views on each blog entry! Most of you I will never meet, but every once in a while someone would knock on the boat and introduce them self, saying they have been reading this blog for years. A few even told me that it inspired them to take the plunge and go cruising.
My most, most, MOST fond memories over the 10 years of our Journey were of our cruising buddies, and close friends, Braun and Tina Jones on Grey Pearl (and Ocean Pearl) and Ken and Roberta Williams on Sans Souci. I am not sure we could have done this without them. On this blog, you have read probably HALF the stories. Only A handful of my closest friends have heard the rest!
So what now? Soon after we closed on the Nordhavn, we closed on our new boat, a 37 foot Downeast style boat named, of course, Seabird! It’s a bit of a change for us, weighing in at 22000 lbs vs 140,000 for the Nordhavn. BUT, it’s easy to wash, fast, and….you can scare the hell out of unwanted guests in as little as a 3 foot chop!
So, anyway, this is farewell. Thank you all so much for your willingness to share our journey….
Steven and Carol
Bye Bye Birdie
This Post Has 29 Comments
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bmanningartist
13 Jul 2018SUBJECT: Re: Bye Bye Birdie
Congratulations Steven and Carol! On to different adventures in the new seabird and Groton long point.
Hope you remodeling came out well and seabird has found a new port right outside your door.
Hugs to both, Brenda
Sent from my iPad
> On Jul 13, 2018, at 4:18 PM, Seabird wrote:
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davbard
13 Jul 2018SUBJECT: Re: Bye Bye Birdie
Seabird is reborn.By any chance did you get a Back Cove.I liked the 33 I had if you get back in area give me a call would like to see both of you and hear a few sea stories
Sent from my iPad
> On Jul 13, 2018, at 4:17 PM, Seabird wrote:
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jecmasin
13 Jul 2018SUBJECT: Re: Bye Bye Birdie
Thank you for all your wonderful posts. Was wonderful to share your adventures. Very best to you both. Joanne
Sent from my iPhone
> On Jul 13, 2018, at 4:18 PM, Seabird wrote:
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braun
13 Jul 2018SUBJECT: RE: Bye Bye Birdie
Wow! Steven, what a tear jerker final blog Yep, we had some good cruising times. Remember the Tuba River in the Philippines? Or the Asbach bar in Adak? What about the Old China Hand bar in Hong Kong? Or the “you not buy here I not cut here”! or the fishing boat lights going out when I turned on the siren and blue flasher! Or running the pearl farms in Japan? Or Okonomiyaki? In little huts with a cook top griddle? Or the lantern festival in Thailand?
Braun Ocean
dially2
13 Jul 2018SUBJECT: Re: Bye Bye Birdie
Such a nice farewell…we’re glad to have had the opportunity to share a few memories aboard the Seabird too! xo Diane and Mike
Diane Simmons
> On Jul 13, 2018, at 4:18 PM, Seabird wrote:
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braun
13 Jul 2018SUBJECT: RE: Bye Bye Birdie
Wow! Steven, what a tear jerker final blog Yep, we had some good cruising times. Remember the Tuba River in the Philippines? Or the Asbach bar in Adak? What about the Old China Hand bar in Hong Kong? Or the “you not buy here I not cut here” hong kong street vendor? ! or the fishing boat lights going out when I turned on the siren and blue flasher! Or running the pearl farms in Japan? Or Okonomiyaki? In little huts with a cook top griddle? Or the lantern festival i
billgreisnerjr
13 Jul 2018SUBJECT: Re: Bye Bye Birdie
Thank you for your many years of sharing.
Sent from my iPad
On Jul 13, 2018, at 4:18 PM, Seabird> wrote:
kargsand
13 Jul 2018SUBJECT: Re: Bye Bye Birdie
Good luck with your new boat. Can’t wait to see it. Kathy
Sent from my iPad
> On Jul 13, 2018, at 4:18 PM, Seabird wrote:
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jennagsanders
14 Jul 2018SUBJECT: Re: Bye Bye Birdie
Uncle Steven & Aunt Carol,
Seabird has provided you both some amazing travels around the globe. You both are so blessed to have seen & experienced so much! We would love to hear some of those “unbloggable” stories- LOL!
Best of luck with your new boat & the memories yet to come
Jenna, Rich, Caroline & Michael
Sent from Jenna”s iPhone
> On Jul 13, 2018, at 4:17 PM, Seabird wrote:
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Steven Argosy
14 Jul 2018Response to a post by braun who said:
SUBJECT: RE: Bye Bye Birdie
Wow! Steven, what a tear jerker final blog Yep, we had some good cruising times. Remember the Tuba River in the Philippines? Or the Asbach bar in Adak? What about the Old China Hand bar in Hong Kong? Or the “you not buy h…
What about the ones we cannot mention? Well, anyway, you guys made the trip so great, although I doubt that you would have learned that the translation of “Nut Driver” in Japanese was actually “Nutt Drivah” without me. (True story)
Steven Argosy
14 Jul 2018Response to a post by davbard who said:
SUBJECT: Re: Bye Bye Birdie
Seabird is reborn.By any chance did you get a Back Cove.I liked the 33 I had if you get back in area give me a call would like to see both of you and hear a few sea stories
Sent from my iPad
> On Jul 13, 2018, at 4:17 P…
Yep, actually I did get a Back Cove.
Steven Argosy
14 Jul 2018Response to a post by Steven Argosy who said:
Yep, actually I did get a Back Cove.
Oh, Hi Dave, I just figured out who davbarbd was! We are in the Mystic Area. Paul D has my number. We’d love to see you both!
tobedouglas
14 Jul 2018SUBJECT: Re: Bye Bye Birdie
….. …Penguin 7646
Sent from my iPad
> On Jul 13, 2018, at 1:17 PM, Seabird wrote:
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llellison
14 Jul 2018SUBJECT: Re: Bye Bye Birdie
Dear Carol and Steve,
It was indeed our pleasure to have the opportunity to meet you during your time in the Seattle area and during the cruise from Puget Sound to Alaska….was that 2008? How long ago and yet it seems just the other day. We had such fun with you folks and with Scott and Terry along the way, as well as so many others, some of whom we still keep in touch.
We sold Tenacious, our Nordhavn 55, in September of 2016 to a lovely couple looking for
verogranda
14 Jul 2018SUBJECT: Re: Bye Bye Birdie
Top this off with your leaving me at SouthWinds. What a sad day! Hugs Sue
Sent from my iPhone
> On Jul 13, 2018, at 4:17 PM, Seabird wrote:
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oldhundredhouse
14 Jul 2018SUBJECT: Re: Bye Bye Birdie
WOW 15 YRS! Sure doesn”t seem that long but I guess it is Little granddaughter Kai was just a toddler when we were all together at Sconsett Pt, now she is a college sophomore Still doing B&B but only thru AirBnB no more breakfasts no getting up a the crack of dawn just using guest wing of hse so guests just come & go as they please Not as young as we use to be Helped our daughter Veronica buy a hse in Avon on Ctry Club Rd Her son Chase , now 7, will go to R
mbolton
14 Jul 2018SUBJECT: Re: Bye Bye Birdie
Hey Carol and Steve,
Happy to hear that you guys are happy and of course that you are both doing
well . Hey a 37 is not bad boat ,, we had our new 34, that we also just
recently said good by too !.
If you guys are ever down in Panama way again please be sure to give us a
shout.
Regards,
Mike and Becky
On Fri, Jul 13, 2018 at 3:17 PM, Seabird <
blogcomments-2G6DY@[…]> wrote:
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Steven Argosy
14 Jul 2018Response to a post by mbolton who said:
SUBJECT: Re: Bye Bye Birdie
Hey Carol and Steve,
Happy to hear that you guys are happy and of course that you are both doing
well . Hey a 37 is not bad boat ,, we had our new 34, that we also just
recently said good by too !.
If you guys are ever do…
Hey, Mike and Becky! So great to hear from you! Most of you have never heard this story, but after visiting with Mike and Becky in Panama, we were hauling anchor and getting ready to cruise north, when the anchor got stuck. Carol jumped into the water to investigate and tore a meniscus in her knee. Mike and Becky arranged for a hospital and doctor to operate on Carol immediately after returning to Panama. They were our saviors!
By the way, the anchor was caught on a sunken boat, which turned out to belong to Mike and Becky. They had lost it long before we got there!
Steven
tina
14 Jul 2018SUBJECT: RE: Bye Bye Birdie
Well done, Steven & Carol!
It definitely has been the BEST of times! Brings tears to my eyes…
NO finer company than being with our fellow N62 ‘Seabird’ over the years and some incredible locales…Long live the ‘Bird’ and, may the new owners enjoy her as much as you all did!
Onto making new memories on another boat ?
Tina
From: Seabird [mailto:blogcomments-2G6DY@[…]]
Sent: Friday, July 13, 2018 4:18 PM
To: Tina
Subject: Bye Bye Birdie
Ken Williams
15 Jul 2018Carol and Steve: As you know, we are shipping our boat your direction. We’re looking forward to exploring the Northeast and seeing you again.
Congrats on the new boat!
And, thank you for being some of the greatest buddy-boat partners who ever lived. Nothing will ever compare to the adventures we have shared together.
-Ken Williams
Steven Argosy
15 Jul 2018Response to a post by Ken Williams who said:
Carol and Steve: As you know, we are shipping our boat your direction. We’re looking forward to exploring the Northeast and seeing you again.
Congrats on the new boat!
And, thank you for being some of the greatest buddy-boat partners who ever lived…
Approved
Steven
Sent from my iPad
Steven Argosy
15 Jul 2018Response to a post by Steven Argosy who said:
Approved
Steven
Sent from my iPad
Yep, every day Carol and I remind each other how lucky we are! I think the six of us were about as well matched as any cruisers could be. One of my favorite stories is when we were in Siberia and Roberta got bitten by that mangy “guard dog” and we had to wake up your doctor in Seattle to confirm that there was no Rabies in those parts.
Steven Argosy
15 Jul 2018Response to a post by tina who said:
SUBJECT: RE: Bye Bye Birdie
Well done, Steven & Carol!
It definitely has been the BEST of times! Brings tears to my eyes…
NO finer company than being with our fellow N62 ‘Seabird’ over the years and some incredible locales…Long live the ‘Bird’ and, …
Thanks, Tina. Those were some journeys! I replied to Ken above about the dog bite story. Hmmmm….it seems that there was one other dog bite story on Grey Pearl that day…..
chuckherr345
16 Jul 2018SUBJECT: Re: Bye Bye Birdie
very nice + classy!
On Fri, Jul 13, 2018 at 12:17 PM, Seabird <
blogcomments-2G6DY@[…]> wrote:
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tim
16 Jul 2018SUBJECT: RE: Birdie
Hi Steven and Carol,
I am happy to read that Seabird has found her new owner and feel how you felt about saying goodbye to her. I always remember the GSSR event to Ta Shing, the first and only babies return to their mother yard.
Keep in touch! All the best and God bless you!
Tim
From: Seabird [mailto:blogcomments-2G6DY@[…]]
Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2018 4:18 AM
To: tim@[…].tw
Subject: Bye Bye Birdie
elorence
16 Jul 2018SUBJECT: RE: Bye Bye Birdie
Hope to see you in Mystic. Ed and Connie Lorence
From: Seabird [mailto:blogcomments-2G6DY@[…]]
Sent: Friday, July 13, 2018 4:18 PM
To: elorence@[…]
Subject: Bye Bye Birdie
spencerritahill
18 Jul 2018SUBJECT: RE: Bye Bye Birdie
Hi guys, I have enjoyed your blog since we met at Mabul (Malaysia) back in 2011. What a cool trip you have had, very inspiring, I’d love to do the same but with a sail and that’s after the helicopter, so good on you.
Spence and Rita – mad kiwi’s.
From: Seabird
Sent: Saturday, 14 July 2018 8:18 AM
To: spencerritahill@[…]
Subject: Bye Bye Birdie
Steven Argosy
18 Jul 2018Response to a post by tim who said:
SUBJECT: RE: Birdie
Hi Steven and Carol,
I am happy to read that Seabird has found her new owner and feel how you felt about saying goodbye to her. I always remember the GSSR event to Ta Shing, the first and only babies return to their mother yard….
Hi Tim, thank you for the kind words! There is no way we could have done this without the beautiful Nordhavn that your factory built. Carol and I will never forget the kindness and hospitality that you showed our three boats when we arrived in Taiwan. Best to you, your family and your team of dedicated employees.
Steven
Steven Argosy
18 Jul 2018Response to a post by elorence who said:
SUBJECT: RE: Bye Bye Birdie
Hope to see you in Mystic. Ed and Connie Lorence
From: Seabird [mailto:blogcomments-2G6DY@[…]]
Sent: Friday, July 13, 2018 4:18 PM
To: elorence@[…]
Subject: Bye Bye Birdie
Hi Ed and Connie,
Nice to hear from you. So, you must still be in boating….hope to see you around.
Steven