Tuesday 23 January 2024

100 Years of #ExpeditionCruising for One Remarkable Small Ship

#expeditioncruising

Spectacular slow cruise voyages to Baja California and Alaska with AdventureSmith Explorations offer unmatched experiences and a chance to be part of 'Westward's' history

This year, the historic 8-guest motor yacht 'Westward,' built in 1924 and listed with the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, celebrates its centennial anniversary. Emblematic of AdventureSmith Explorations' small ship expedition style of travel worldwide, a trip aboard Westward in Alaska and Baja California offers an invitation to slow down and experience the pulse and rhythms of tides, wildlife, nature and solitude. Travelers can expect intimate accommodations, professional guides, active off-vessel explorations, world-class cuisine and endless opportunities to make new memories, new friends, and be part of this unique vessel's expansive history.

"The best part about traveling aboard Westward is the ability to unplug and enjoy a slow cruise on a historic vessel without a fixed itinerary. Guests who have experienced Westward have repeatedly complimented the community feel she generates among her passengers," said Todd Smith, AdventureSmith Explorations founder. "Many have even said that being on the Westward was like going back in time to the 1930s 'as a guest on a good friend's yacht'."

Westward has a storied past, having originally been built in 1924 for Campbell Church, Sr. and used over the last century for a variety of purposes including Alaska tourism, hunting and fishing expeditions, and military service during World War II before being used to circumnavigate the globe in the 1970s. Still powered by her original 1923 Atlas-Imperial diesel engine that must be oiled every two hours, Westward has both maintained her charm and had its cabins and common spaces modernized over time. She still covers over 11,000 sea miles annually on some of the most intimate voyages offered to Baja California and Alaska, including Westward Voyages in the Sea of Cortez, Discover Glacier Bay, and Alaska's Western Passages that explore remote wilderness areas and offer up-close wildlife encounters and enriching cultural experiences.

The list of luminaries who have travelled on the Westward is impressive. From A. C. Gilbert (inventor of the Erector Set) to George Eastman (of Eastman Kodak), banker Paul Mellon, George Pabst (of Pabst Brewing Company), investor E.F. Hutton and his wife Marjorie Merriweather Post, Walt Disney, John Wayne, Bing Crosby, Phil Harris, Fibber McGee & Molly, and Amos & Andy, Westward has been a sought-after vessel for extraordinary travel experiences for many years.

"I am constantly aware that I have the privilege of standing where many famous people have stood and captaining a vessel with an incredible history. While on the wheel, I think of all those who have held those same spokes, looked at the same compass, out of the same pilothouse windows, and am totally humbled and awed," said Westward Owner and Captain Bill Bailey.

"Someday, Westward will have to retire to become the centerpiece of a well-run and well-funded maritime museum, and at that point, no one will be able to experience being aboard her while underway among the ice floes in Alaska, or wake up anchored in a desert cove in the Sea of Cortez," continued Bailey. "But that day is still far in the future.

Discover the flexibility, historic charm, intimate size, cozy ambiance and remarkable cuisine that has earned Westward a coveted spot on AdventureSmith's short-list of luxury Alaska cruises and a favorite for private Alaska charters.

For details about other small ship cruises that offer immersive nature experiences, travelers can lean on AdventureSmith's travel experts to recommend the best trips. Learn more about Alaska small ship cruises and Baja cruises.

Learn more and book an expedition at adventuresmithexplorations.com or by calling 866-575-2875.

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