|
VESSEL OUR TRIPS PHOTO ALBUM CREW NEWS TESTIMONIALS & RECOMMENDATIONS 2008 SCHEDULE 2009 SCHEDULE REQUEST FORM CONTACT REGISTRATION DOWNLOAD PRE-TRIP INFORMATION LINKS HOME 
|
|
 Testimonials and Recommendations: 2007 "We had a glorious time. We will never forget the experience. I can't believe they're out there doing it again. Lucky dogs!" - MW 2007 ...................................................................... "It was a privilege to be on your much-loved and well cared for vessel and to share your family's passion for the beautiful waterways of SE Alaska. Thanks for creating a journey from Juneau to Petersburg that gave us such a variety of natural wonders at every turn -- quiet inlets filled with bird life, thundering glaciers, colorful cliffs, amazing marine life below our feet, and let's not forget the eagles." - JT/AT 2007 ...................................................................... "Just as it's difficult to describe the majesty of Alaska, it's also difficult to adequately express our gratitude to you and your crew for making this trip everything we had hoped for and so much more. Thank you for an experience we will always cherish." - DH/MH 2007 ...................................................................... "What a fantastic adventure. You guys are the greatest! We will remember this trip always. We will be back. Thanks for everything!" -BF 2007 ...................................................................... "Each one of you was equally important and totally awesome in helping to make this trip a total lifetime experience. For that I thank you. I will always remember you and look forward to the next time I see you." -JL 2007 ...................................................................... "Thank you for providing us with a very memorable, relaxing and educational Alaska experience! The trip was far above our expectations. Your crew went out of their way to make us feel comfortable and part of the "family". This experience was certainly a trip of a lifetime." -RD/CD 2007 ...................................................................... Poem: Aboard the good ship Catalyst we sailed out to see, Everything we could, We saw to be, The devil in the kitchen, Cooking up a storm, Her style be bitchin', And her tasty food warm, Down below the engineer hides, His barbeque shirt on fire, To everyone free skiff rides! And his need for edibles dire. What's that up above starting the laughing row? Why it's Cappie and his hat, A one beard show, Think fast! Reflexes like a cat! (but why the dent in the bow?) But what's that we see? Or maybe we don't, Since camouflage his pants be, Its gear boy and his kayak toy, Floating around the big blue sea. So with a hearty crew we sail, With bellies full of a delicious meal, Beyond the waves of time set loose from towering ice, A chunk of which mended a bruise, From an oar that wasn't nice, Then, not 2 or 3, but four, Four bears we saw through tide's slim door. Hungry for another sighting, On a bear hunt we went, A bear peeking though the grass sure scared me, But wait, that's not all we'd see. Whales, whales, whales -Yes Cotton, the humping kind- Jumping and bubbling in glee. Oh, then what luck, a kiss from the lion of the sea, Left us speechless, Mo in love, A match like a glove. Deep sea fishing, Rain or shine, Our dinner thanks to me, (maybe a little credit to the devil, flamer, and Cappie 3) Now through the waters, Flying sea pickles once more, Whales galore. Oh now it's almost through, Boohoohoo, But the laughs of galley dancing, campfires, and seal romancing, -well linda, that's on my list- I'm only 15, so keep it clean, if you catch my gist. Oh Cappie remember the skiff, The look on your face, -You looked quite miffed- Left high and dry, Oh Cappie, we laughed so hard we thought we'd cry. but never fear, Our strong guests are here! They set the skiff free... Oops, it was almost empty. Now, my long wind is almost done, Thanks for the sun, and the little sliver of Cappie's promised sun. Now we enjoy the tats and laughs, of our captain's ball hats. Don't forget, dear crew, The sushi made with no rules, We're American you see. Everyone don't forget to break out a car dance move, Bob the flamingo, Dance the devil's t-rex, -get on your groove- All the way to Petersburg, Look an orca whale! Yet another bergie bit on the horizon, Just remember the good ship Catalyst, and the laughs we've been though... and always remember... it sucks to be poo. -KB 2006 ...................................................................... What our 2006 passengers had to say... "Such a lovely boat - it's hard to believe she's 74 years old - she doesn't have that old, damp boaty smell. Altogether a very comfortable boat, and for me, personally, the trip around the San Juan Islands was perfect. Captain and crew were great, the food was fabulous. I'm so happy to know the Catalyst is still in service and available for cruising and I do plan on coming up again as soon as I can - can't thank you enough!" CB-Fall 2006 ...................................................................... Essay written by a 2006 guest: The best memories happen when you are inside a small space and outside of yourself. While the rest of the boat slept, tired from a day of sea kayaking, Adrian, the engineer, Erica, the cook, and I sat around the kitchen table. It was 9:30 and the afterglow of sunset still hung on the horizon. They were both knitting, and Erica told stories about her grandmother. Their hands moved skillfully in tune with the clicking needles. I smiles at Adrian, the twenty-nine year old guy knitting a hot pink bikini for his girlfriend, when he suggested that I learn. Kayaking, yes, hiking with bears - expected, but learning to knit in Alaska? Not what I had anticipated. I asked, "How do you start?" Erica chuckled and said, "There's no turning back now." She taught me how to cast on and then delicately showed the steps to knitting. I started very slowly, but as the night wore on our needles were clicking in a three part harmony with our stories and laughter as the background music. As the hat I was knitting took shape, I learned about Erica's year spent working at the South Pole, where she met her husband. Adrian shared that in his boredom one day he turned his backyard into a garlic garden. We were outside of ourselves spread out in the kitchen air, tied together with the soft yarn we knitted into a hat, a bikini, and a sweater. The next morning we woke to a cold, windy rainstorm. We slipped into our already exhausted rain gear and climbed into our kayaks. We made our way through what the Stickeen Indians call "skookum chuck, skookum chuck" or "strong water, strong water," and after some hard paddling, we arrived in an isolated cove. The crescendo of the humming waterfalls intensified as we glided further into seclusion. Guided by a team of bald eagles and protected by the snow capped mountains, we were untouchable. A pair of dolphins escorted us out of the cove, as we watched nature in its purest form. We were paddling toward the boat, wet and cold, when a speck of slick black skin broke the water's surface next to my kayak. Almost as an applause for enduring the rain, the now familiar sound of a whale spout followed. I stopped paddling and allowed the minki whale to satisfy its curiosity, before turning back toward the warmth of the Catalyst. Adrian, Erica, and I sat again thawing our fingers in our knitting and warming our insides with hot chocolate. As Erica fixed on of the many mistakes I made as a beginning knitter, I glanced out the window to see humpback whales spouting and breeching against a backdrop of blue crystal icebergs. My eyes followed the water to the top of a mountain while the smell of chocolate chip cookies filled the small room. Nature was at the same time outside and away from us and inside and a part of us, in one way making us feel small and insignificant and in another large and empowered. -RM- 2006 ...................................................................... "Thanks again for a simply awesome trip...words can't describe it. We look forward to our next trip with you!" MB and family/2006 ...................................................................... "We had a trip of a lifetime! Other than maybe seeing a bear feeding on salmon we did experience and see so much. Being in the center of humpback whales bubble net feeding, lunge feeding, tail slapping/lobbing, breaching and listening to their songs was a highlight. We really saw the wilderness of Alaska - the fjords, the wildlife, the rainforest -and experiencing it at a level to appreciate it. The crew was so accommodating, fun, knowledgeable, pleasant, welcoming with excellent food, wonderful information about Alaska, appreciation for the CATALYST (its age and beauty), and confidence in the captain and crew. Instead of interfacing with a buffet, we had a unique experience of interfacing with wonderful people and the beauty of Alaska. Thank you one and all. You really attended to every detail." AZ and PZ/2006 ...................................................................... "We didn't think it could get any better than our 2000 trip on the WESTWARD…but it did! We liked the CATALYST- as a ship- much better. We absolutely loved our trip on the CATALYST - one thing we very much liked was the connection between the crew and guests - we very quickly felt we were traveling all as a group - not as crew and passengers. It was a great trip, it just passed too fast!" WR and BR/ 2006 ...................................................................... "Wanted to let you know that my family had THE MOST WONDERFUL, WONDROUS trip with Bill and the crew. Among the eight of us, you can imagine that we had built up a huge reservoir of anticipation. The trip was everything we hoped it would be… and more! We never imagined what an immense treat, for example, the food would be! Erica is both an artist and magician in the galley!" LD/ 2006 ...................................................................... "We had a wonderful trip... came home very relaxed, with great pictures and stories to tell. Enjoyed the crew and other guests." PD and DD/2006 ...................................................................... Letter from some 2005 M/V Catalyst adventurers: "We would like to thank you and the crew of the Catalyst for a wonderful vacation. What a beautiful vessel and an incredible journey on
the Inside Passage! |
| Meg and Frank |
|
...................................................................... |
|
"After spending a few days with the captain and crew I was amazed to realize that the Catalyst doesn't offer just kayaking or wildlife trips, but a complete experience, a personal experience, from early mornings drinking coffee with Heidi (the chef) before the guests have gotten up to taking a few turns on the wheel in the pilot house. The Catalyst experience is as much about what you have to offer and what you want to share as what they have to offer. It seems that being on board whisked me away from "what" I am to "who I am", which to me was extremely refreshing. I felt no pressure to join in, no pressure to see it all, to take it all in, no pressure to even get up early if I felt like sleeping in. What I did feel and what I enjoyed so much, is the sense of being part of this great boat and wonderful crew, an invitation almost to come along for the ride, to enjoy myself and to just be. It made me want to jump in with both feet." |
| ~ BC, Washington |
|
...................................................................... |
|
"We just returned late last night from the Catalyst and we want you to know that we had an absolutely wonderful time on your boat and in Alaska… the crew bent over backwards to please us and do everything in their power for us to have a good time. It was a trip of a LIFETIME!!! We absolutely loved Heidi and her cooking...she generously gave us lots of her yummy recipes. We have never eaten this good in a week...none of us want to go on a scale for awhile….. We will definitely be back for another trip on the Catalyst another summer." |
| ~ JC-Madison, Wisconsin |
|
...................................................................... |
| "We all expected to be awed by Alaska, but none of us was truly prepared for the majesty of the landscape and the sheer beauty and variety of the Inside Passage. And none of us realized how special the crew would be. We learned so much and had such a terrific time with each and every one of them. They really mad all the difference... We are hoping to plan another trip in the summer of 2005. Thank you for providing these lovely yachts for charter" |
| ~ CH, Massachusetts |
|
...................................................................... |
| "The trip was at least one of the finest, if not the finest trip that we have taken as a family. Of course the ambiance of the boat and the beauty of Alaska had alot to do with the quality of the trip, more importantly was the warmth and friendliness of the crew... they made us all feel welcome and went out of their way to be sure each of us had an enjoyable experience" |
| ~ LM, Colorado |
|
...................................................................... |
| "Cannot imagine a better way to experience the Alaska coast. Each night we went to bed thinking that that day had to be the highlight of the trip, only to be surprised the next day with more remarkable experiences" |
| ~ PR, Ohio |
|
...................................................................... |
| "A trip of a life time...so far. Wonderful food - a perfect combination of comfortable and elegant." |
| ~ PF, Minnesota |
|
...................................................................... |
| "I love to travel, have been many places and really hate cold water. I would go with you all in a heartbeat- it was the best vacation I've ever had!" |
| ~ MC, California |
|
...................................................................... |
| "The skipper and the crew helped me do more than I thought I was capable of handling...good care of this almost 90 year old man" |
| ~ JD, Massachusetts |
|
...................................................................... |
| "A superb wilderness travel and educational experience that exceeded all my expectations...Sincere thanks for the kindness, skill, warmth and professionalism that is the hallmark of Pacific Catalyst" |
| ~ AB, Colorado |
|
...................................................................... |
HOME | Schedule | Vessel | News | Request Info | Registration | Pre-Trip Info | Online Brochure | Contact