The historic Western Flyer, chartered by John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts in 1940, now serves as a working research vessel and floating classroom, sparking curiosity through the intersection of marine science and the arts.
Visit the Western Flyer in the Pacific Northwest This Spring
In 2026, the Western Flyer will travel north along the Pacific coast, returning to the waters where it was built, worked, and restored.
This voyage reconnects the vessel with its roots—while bringing hands-on ocean science programs to students and communities across Oregon and Washington.
Made famous by John Steinbeck and painstakingly restored for research, Western Flyer sails into Newport for a week
Lincoln Chronicle | By Dana Tims, May 09, 2026John Gregg, then a 10-year-old kid growing up in rural Georgia, couldn’t wait for the bookmobile to trundle through town every other week. The books he’d grab stoked his love of adventure, science and a world very far from his own.
View Full ArticleWestern Flyer Visits Coos Bay & Charleston
Travel Oregon, May 04, 2026Built in Tacoma in 1937, the Western Flyer became famous when John Steinbeck sailed it to the Gulf of California in 1940. After a meticulous restoration led by the Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-op, the vessel now serves as a platform for ocean science and education.
View Full ArticleMeet sea critters and celebrate science in Charleston
Oregon News, University of Oregon, April 30, 2026University of Oregon employees and families looking for an Oregon Coast getaway will find a boatload of activities May 9 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Charleston Marine Life Center.
View Full ArticleThe historic fishing vessel Western Flyer will return to Port Townsend this spring for a week-long schedule of student programs and community events
48° North Sailing Magazine, April 29, 2026Originally built in Tacoma in 1937, the Western Flyer is best known for carrying John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts on their 1940 Gulf of California expedition, later chronicled in The Log from the Sea of Cortez.
View Full ArticleNew Research from the Gulf of California
April 29, 2026This week, Western Flyer Foundation scientists are presenting new findings from the 2025 Gulf of California expedition, where cutting-edge eDNA sampling revealed more than 50 fish families across 500 kilometers of ocean.
View Full ArticleWestern Flyer in Newport: Student Programs, Public Tours, and Waterfront Events
April 28, 2026Press Release: The Western Flyer will be in Newport, Oregon, May 15–22 for a week of student programs, free public tours, and community events.
View Full Article
