Western Flyer: Literary History Heads Back to Sea

Sherry Flumerfelt

Executive Director

Western Flyer Foundation

In 1940, John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts chartered the fishing vessel Western Flyer for a six-week exploration of Mexico’s Gulf of California, resulting in the publications Sea of Cortez (1941) and The Log from the Sea of Cortez (1951). The boat returned to fishing for decades, changed names and owners, disappeared, sank, and was in disrepair when marine geologist John Gregg purchased it in 2015. Inspired by a vision to restore the iconic boat and bring it back into service for research and education, he launched the Western Flyer Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission “to stir curiosity by connecting art and science in the spirit of John Steinbeck, Ed Ricketts, and their journey on the Western Flyer.” The vessel has been almost completely renovated and is scheduled to return to Monterey Bay this summer, when it will embark on the next phase of its journey, taking students and researchers out on the water to learn, observe, and create. Sherry Flumerfelt, the Executive Director of the Western Flyer Foundation, will talk about the history of the Western Flyer, its incredible restoration, and the organization’s programs aimed at inspiring the next generation of marine scientists, writers, and artists.