Almost five years ago I first posted about Western Flyer, a boat with an interesting provenance as a vessel chartered by author John Steinbeck and marine biologist/ecologist Ed Ricketts in a seminal research exploration of the Gulf of California in 1940. The voyage became the basis of a book they co-authored, “The Log from the Sea of Cortez.” The boat had fallen on hard times, as illustrated in my first photos, taken in 2013, and reposted last year. Its fate was in flux until the Western Flyer Foundation was formed and intervened to save it.
Western Flyer has been housed at Port Townsend Shipwright’s Co-Op where the Western Flyer Foundation has been undertaking its restoration. When I’d seen it last, almost a year ago, it was much improved and plans were afoot to retrieve white oak lumber to replace rotted wood.
When I saw Western Flyer again last week new lumber was coming into place.
You can see replacement wood both on deck and inside the hull. There’s a lot of work to be done but the Foundation also has high hopes for the boat’s future to continue as an education and research vessel.
This is a wonderful project. I remember your photo from 2013 and thus this ship and it’s so good to see the restoration continues apace.
I remember thinking when I saw your first post on the Western Flyer that there wasn’t any hope of saving it , I’m happy to see that I was wrong Kay ✨
I admire people with foresight and a mission. Looks like the Foundation set a goal and is hard at work achieving it. Kudos to them for working to preserve history, especially literary history!!
It is well worth restoring.
What wonderful and important work these visionary people are doing. Everyone benefits.