What to Know
- The Return of the Western Flyer
- The Monterey Bay-based boat, which was featured in John Steinbeck's 1951 book "The Log from the Sea of the Cortez," is sailing to the Gulf of California in honor of its 85th anniversary
- The Western Flyer is stopping in Long Beach March 22 for a free open house; public tours are available Rainbow Harbor and Alamitos Bay
- San Pedro Fish Market in Long Beach is fundraising for the Western Flyer with a one-day shrimp special: The $149.99 Fisherman's Wharf Tray, which will feed 4 to 6 guests
- Track the Western Flyer's real-time journey to the Gulf of California via this page
The opportunity to step onto a real adventuring vessel that's been featured in a famous book feels a touch fantastic, a daydream only afforded to fictional characters or perhaps a few lucky souls who happen to be in the right place at the right moment.
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WATCH HEREIf you're a John Steinbeck fan and lover of literary ocean escapades, you can be among those fortunate few: Just make your way to Rainbow Harbor or Alamitos Bay in Long Beach March 22.
For the Western Flyer, a boat made famous by the legendary author in his 1951 travelogue "The Log from the Sea of the Cortez," will briefly anchor in Long Beach on the first Saturday of spring.
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The boat, originally built for sardine fishing in the 1930s, nearly encountered its final chapter at several points over the last several decades, even, on occasion, sinking.
Marine biologist John Gregg purchased the vessel a decade ago and set to work saving its history and vintage appearance while adding modern details, like a hybrid diesel-electric engine.
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A "state-of-the-art marine lab" is also aboard, shared Mr. Gregg in 2023.
The Western Flyer, which found a home in Moss Landing on Monterey Bay following its major renovation, is sailing for the Gulf of California in honor of the 85th anniversary of the 1940 research trip taken by Mr. Steinbeck and marine biologist Ed Ricketts.
The trip inspired the later book, a classic of the mid-century travelogue canon.
The Western Flyer enjoyed a warm send-off ahead of its anniversary journey at Old Fisherman's Wharf March 16; a March 19 stop in Santa Barbara is ahead, and a March 23 engagement in Newport Beach, too (this visit will be a presentation, not an open house, do keep in mind).
If you'll be visiting the Western Flyer for a free look on March 22, consider swinging by the San Pedro Fish Market's Long Beach location for a fundraising shrimp special dubbed The Fisherman's Wharf Tray.
"As a fourth-generation family business with deep roots in Southern California's coastal fishing heritage since 1956, we are honored to support the Western Flyer's mission-driven expedition as it retraces this historic route down the California Coast and through the Gulf of California," said Michael Ungaro, CEO and Owner of San Pedro Fish Market.
"Through this special fundraiser, our guests can enjoy a celebratory spin on our signature World Famous Shrimp Tray while contributing to a meaningful cause dedicated to ocean conservation and education."
For more on the fabled boat and its remarkable return to the Gulf of California, visit the Western Flyer Foundation page now.
