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.
Historic Western Flyer Makes Special Final Public Stop in Seattle After Successful Pacific Northwest Voyage
June 10, 2026PRESS RELEASE - In a special addition to its successful Pacific Northwest voyage, the historic fishing vessel Western Flyer will make one final public stop in Seattle this weekend, offering visitors a rare opportunity to step aboard the iconic vessel at the Center for Wooden Boats.
View Full ArticleA Small Gift with a Big Story
June 10, 2026When Caroline Petrich celebrated her 65th birthday aboard the Western Flyer, she brought with her a small clay baby—and a remarkable story connecting the vessel to its birthplace, the Petrich family, and the legends of Fox Island.
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By Steve Mullensky For Peninsula Daily News, May 30, 2026The Western Flyer, the historic research vessel that became famous after author John Steinbeck chartered it for a research trip in the Sea of Cortez, cruises beneath the towering Mount Baker as she approaches the entrance to Port Townsend Bay on Thursday.
View Full ArticleMapping ocean conditions with underwater robots
May 25, 2026From the deck of the Western Flyer, Oregon State University scientists successfully deployed an underwater glider that will spend months collecting ocean data beneath the Pacific Northwest coast. Jack Barth explains how these remarkable vehicles are transforming ocean science.
View Full ArticleOur Working Waterfront
KPTZ.ORG • 91.9 FM Port Townsend, May 14, 2026Join KPTZ’s Chris Bricker and Port Commissioner Pam Petranek in conversation with Pete Rust of the Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-op, and Captain Paul Tate and Sherry Flumerfelt of the Western Flyer Foundation.
View Full ArticleMade 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.
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