By Sherry Flumerfelt
Nick Offerman has something of a devoted following. You may know him as Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation, the mustached, deadpan, meat-loving icon; from his Emmy Award–winning turn in The Last of Us; as Chester A. Arthur in Death by Lightning; or perhaps riding a dragon in last year’s Super Bowl ad.
What you may not realize is that Nick is also a lifelong woodworker. He runs Offerman Woodshop, builds his own furniture and canoes, and has written several books that are as funny as they are thoughtful, often weaving together craft, storytelling, his love of the outdoors and public lands, and the satisfaction of making things by hand.
A couple of years ago, when we were working with filmmaker Aaron Straight to create a short film about the Western Flyer, Nick was our first choice to narrate it. It felt like a long shot, but he felt so perfectly aligned with the boat, very much in the spirit of Steinbeck and Ricketts. So we took a chance and asked.
His publicist initially replied with a polite “thanks, but no thanks.” Ten minutes later, a second message arrived: “Actually, he’s interested.”
The result was our short film, The Western Flyer with Nick Offerman. He did it for free, though he claims he did it in exchange for beef tallow. The film has now attracted almost 35,000 views and continues to introduce new audiences to the Western Flyer’s remarkable story.
We had been hoping to get Nick out to the boat ever since, and last week, it finally happened.
He was in Monterey performing at the Golden State Theatre to promote his new book, Little Woodchucks, with his co-author and woodworking co-conspirator, Lee Buchanan. Before the show, they joined a very excited crew for the afternoon.
We toured the Western Flyer, shared fish tacos in the galley, visited John Gregg’s extraordinary fossil collection, and stopped by the Sunflower Star Lab. He even took a celebratory shot of beer from a shot glass discovered during the restoration, still crusted in barnacles. We also showed Nick and Lee a container of salvaged wood from the Flyer’s original build. It’s hard not to imagine that wood finding its way into the hands of one of these master craftsmen one day.
What struck me most was how easy-going and down-to-earth Nick was. He’s funny, yes. But mostly he was curious, attentive, and friendly. I really liked him.
Afterward, he wrote, “We can’t stop thinking about those amazing fish tacos in the galley. You’re a master host and boatswain.”
After eighty-nine years, the Western Flyer continues to draw fishermen, scientists, shipwrights, students, artists, and yes, the occasional celebrity. We’re glad Nick Offerman found his way aboard.
