If you’re familiar with the work of writer John Steinbeck, you may know “The Log from the Sea of Cortez,” a book he wrote with marine biologist Ed Ricketts after a research voyage they made in 1940. Steinbeck and Ricketts chartered the Western Flyer out of Monterey, California for six weeks and the Log is a narrative of the experience. After a long and interesting history, the Western Flyer has arrived in the Port Townsend shipyard, unquestionably worse for wear.
The Western Flyer is a 76-foot wooden purse seiner built in Tacoma in 1937. Over the years it worked as a fishing trawler in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska and as a survey vessel along the coast of British Columbia and Alaska. Eventually renamed the Gemini, the boat finally ended up in Washington’s Swinomish Slough where it sat idle beginning in 1997.
A real estate developer who owns several buildings in Steinbeck’s hometown, Salinas, California, bought the Western Flyer in 2010 intending to restore and return it to Salinas, to display inside a restaurant and boutique hotel. The boat ran out of patience last year. In September it sank in 30 feet of water. A crew raised it, pumped out the water, and put a temporary patch where planks had given way. In November it sank again.
Coated with barnacles and sea life inside and out it was hauled to Port Townsend earlier this month. Estimated restoration is $700,000 and a nonprofit group hopes to raise funds for the work. As you can see, they have their work cut out for them.
Kay, this is simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! WOW!
Wow – the things I don’t know, but love learning about.
LOTS of work ahead in restoring this piece of history – wonderful narrative, Kay!
A fascinating tale and superb pictures to go with it. I did not know about Steinbeck’s voyage nor of this particular boat but what a great story. It seems that $700 g’s is a lot of money to restore an old boat which has served all useful purpose other than as a decoration. Give the money to medical research instead. Maybe?
No wonder he grabbed a Charlie and set off in a van. hahahahaha
Kay, you amaze me. What a fine story.
The boat has tried twice to tell everyone it wants to return to nature. Why won’t anyone listen?
Love Birdman’s comment. Haven’t read the book you cited, but will give it a go. I also agree with Lowell. It seems like a tidy sum but I suppose the developer hopes to recoup his investment. Seems unlikely to me, but what do I know about high finance?!
i like to see such forgotten stuff! interesting story..! but what an efforts have been made already…
i do know the writer, but not the particular book.
i actually meant to ask you last week already whether you knew about this ship: https://roadtrippers.com/places/mv-kalakala-tacoma/5165c26e4203c33cfe0006ed?mode=explore
its not too far from sequim, right..?