FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Western Flyer Returning to Port Townsend for Student Programs and Community Events
Port Townsend, WA, April 2026 — The historic fishing vessel Western Flyer will return this spring to Port Townsend, where it underwent a multi-year restoration, for a week-long schedule of student programs and community events.
Originally 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. After decades of fishing, two sinkings, and a full restoration in Port Townsend, the vessel now serves as a platform for ocean science, education, and storytelling.
During its visit from May 27 to June 8, the Western Flyer will be docked primarily at Point Hudson Marina, where the Western Flyer Foundation will partner with the Northwest Maritime Center and other local organizations to deliver hands-on education programs for students from around the region. The visit is part of a broader pilot voyage to the Pacific Northwest, with additional stops in Charleston and Newport, Oregon.
Aboard this iconic vessel, participants will deploy scientific instruments, collect real-time ocean data, study marine ecosystems, and work alongside scientists, educators, and mariners—while also engaging with the vessel’s remarkable history, from its fishing roots to the Steinbeck–Ricketts expedition.
“This is where the Western Flyer was brought back to life,” said John Gregg, founder of the Western Flyer Foundation. “Bringing her back now, in service of students and science, means a great deal to all of us.”
The Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-Op, which led the vessel’s restoration, remains a key partner and supporter of the Western Flyer and this voyage.
“The Western Flyer holds a special place in Port Townsend,” said Tim Lee, Owner/Partner at the Shipwrights Co-op. “Seeing her return as a working vessel for science and education is very meaningful for our community. We all have a lot of years invested in this boat, and we’ll be happy to have her come back again.”
The expedition is also supported by UnCruise Adventures, the Northwest Maritime Center, and a growing network of community partners helping bring programs to life across the region.
The public is invited to a community event at the Northwest Maritime Center on June 7, featuring free tours of the Western Flyer, opportunities to meet crew and educators, and learn more about the vessel’s mission. Details will be announced at a later date.
More information and event updates are available at www.westernflyer.org/PNW2026
About the Western Flyer Foundation
The Western Flyer Foundation operates the historic Western Flyer as a platform for ocean science research, education, and storytelling, connecting diverse communities to the ocean through hands-on learning experiences. More information is available at www.westernflyer.org.
Media Contact:
Sherry Flumerfelt
Executive Director
Western Flyer Foundation
sherry@westernflyer.org
www.westernflyer.org
(831) 220-8047