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An important Bill Garden yacht carries an ambassador’s family far and wide.
by Dorothea Green
photography by Dorothea Green
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12/01/2005
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Throughout the centuries, water has been viewed as a symbol of renewal. Water is the very essence of
our lives, and for my life, water is the unifying force guiding me on my journey to rediscover my
friends, my family and my own sense of adventure.
In 1992, when my husband, Steven, bought this yacht, then named Savvy Lady, I never imagined that for
the next 13 years, she would be more of a home to me than our primary residence in Miami or that the
call of the sea would become so addictive. Originally built as Kakki M, the 107-foot vessel we call
Dorothea was created in 1967 by William Garden and masterful hands at Vic Franck’s Boat Company in
Seattle, Washington. Designed for offshore cruising, this icon of Pacific Northwest boat building
features a bronze-fastened hull of double-planked Alaskan cedar more than three and a half inches
thick over steam-bent, laminated 4 x 4 oak frames. Her reverse transom with swim platform was nothing
less than a breakthrough design, and her profile still looks modern.
 Dorothea under way. (Click image to enlarge)
Yachting was all new to me, but Steven’s sense of adventure, love of the sea and youthful enthusiasm
eventually rubbed off. I knew it was no coincidence that Dorothea had been introduced to the sea the
same year my husband and I took our vows. I was ready to embark on our journey together, knowing it
would be a new experience every day.
Together we committed ourselves to
a whole new world by water, taking
Dorothea over 175,000 miles,
from Miami to Maine, from the translucent waters of the Caribbean all the way to the frozen seas of
Alaska at a stately 10 to 12 knots. We have journeyed to the Moorish coast of Spain and seen the
bronzed beaches of France and Italy. We can honestly say that we have sailed the Seven Seas, using
Dorothea’s 3,000-mile range to take us through the ancient islands of the Pacific to mystifying
Southeast Asia. We have explored the Great Barrier Reef of
Australia and rubbed noses with the Maori
of New Zealand.
 Bali’s magic. (Click image to enlarge)
Remote, isolated places never deterred our anchor, and we hiked jungles that I never knew existed and
navigated our way through exotic islands only accessible by tender. We witnessed many inhabitants of
the sea, from the dolphin’s lively ballet to the whale’s majestic spouting salute. We dined in huts
with indigenous people and sipped tropical drinks with young starlets on famous beaches. We immersed
ourselves in the many colors and languages of the world, and were granted a glimpse into the many
beliefs and traditions that create the cultures of humankind. In time we began to truly understand the
inter connectedness of the world, and how water is our commonality.
 Ambassador Green inspects Singapore’s military guard. (Click image to enlarge)
Dorothea has been many things and, at one point, became our embassy at sea. In November 1997,
President Clinton appointed Steven as the United States Ambassador to Singapore. We decided
Dorothea
would take us on our journey, carrying us through ancient waters to ports and islands only read
about. She was our protector, embracing us with her strong wooden sides, but she was also our guide
and olive branch, reaching out to the many people we would meet with a kind hand and inviting smile.
The yacht, too, became an ambassador as we traveled the world. Through Dorothea, I would soon
experience the warmth and fluidity of the water surrounding my new land.
Water is a significant factor in everyday life in Singapore, and it seemed fitting that we would
arrive by water and spend much of our time traveling on it.
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