Steinbeck’s Historic Western Flyer Plans Spring Return to Pacific Northwest
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By Norris Comer, best4boats.com.
One of America’s most storied vessels is plotting a course back to her home waters. The Western Flyer — the 1937 wooden fishing vessel immortalized in John Steinbeck’s The Log from the Sea of Cortez — is now a fully restored floating classroom based in Monterey, California, and the Western Flyer Foundation is raising funds to bring her north to the Oregon coast and Washington’s Port Townsend this spring. For harbors and maritime communities along the Pacific Northwest coast, this voyage represents a rare chance to welcome a National Register–listed historic vessel and engage the public in hands-on marine science and education.
As Norris Comer reports for Best4Boats:
The 1937-vintage, 76′ wooden fishing vessel Gemini was derelict in the Swinomish Channel of Washington state when found by now-owner John Gregg in 2015. Despite the dire condition of the old timbers, Gregg knew two things. The first was that he finally found his dream boat after years of searching and had to have her. Second, the boat’s true christened name was not Gemini — it was Western Flyer, the same vessel of John Steinbeck’s literary classic The Log from the Sea of Cortez.
Gregg’s herculean effort to bring Western Flyer back from the grave was remarkable. A huge share of the credit goes to Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-Op (PTSC) whose expert craftsmanship brought Western Flyer to arguably better-than-new condition.
The Foundation’s planned route includes stops at Coos Bay, Newport, and Astoria, Oregon before reaching Port Townsend, Washington — welcoming students and scientists aboard at each port. The expedition needs $100,000 in philanthropic support to proceed; if funding falls short, the number of port stops will be reduced.
Read the full article here: Reborn Western Flyer of Steinbeck Fame Seeks Return to Pacific Northwest
Originally published on February 10, 2026.
