July 30, 2023
July 30, 2023
The Western Flyer reached a number of important milestones over the past few weeks. On July 13th, Captain Paul and crew took her out under her own power for the first time in nearly fifteen years. According to the Captain, she operates beautifully!
Between July 18th and 20th, the Western Flyer underwent three days of sea trials with the Transfluid team (manufacturers of the hybrid system). After a few refinements, the hybrid-electric propulsion system is running smoothly.
On July 27th, the Flyer got a new mast! “Mast stepping” is when the mast is lowered into the hull—an important moment in boat construction. For thousands of years, mariners and builders have put one or more coins under the mast during the mast stepping ceremony, which is believed to bring good luck. Tucked under the Flyer’s new mast, you’ll find a 1937 U.S. quarter, a 1940 Mexican peso, and a 2023 U.S. quarter. The 2023 quarter, which honors the life and legacy of Edith Kanaka’ole, has the inscription, “E ho mai ka ‘ike,” which translates as “granting the wisdom.”
Chris Chase, our Restoration Director, has been jazzing up the galley with new woodwork and fixtures. On July 29th, Chris, Captain Paul, Eric Rasmussen, Brett Snow, and others from Snow & Co. enjoyed lunch around the new table – probably the first real meal gathered there in decades.
Next on the list for the Flyer: we’ll be finalizing the rigging, loading the boat up with more ballast, conducting more sea trials of the diesel engine with John Deere, and if all goes well, you may get a peek of the Western Flyer traveling down the coast later this summer. We’ll be announcing the date of the Homecoming Party in Monterey within the next few weeks – stay tuned!
