Long Beach welcomes the famed Western Flyer ship this Saturday as it prepares for a three-month voyage to retrace the 4,000-mile trip immortalized by John Steinbeck.
On Saturday, it will stop here for a free open house and public tours at Rainbow Harbor and Alamitos Bay.
The Western Flyer, a state-of-the-art sardine boat built in 1937, was chartered by John Steinbeck and marine biologist Ed Ricketts, in 1940 for a six-week voyage that would be documented in Steinbeck’s 1951 nonfiction book, “The Log From the Sea of Cortez.”
The boat continued to be used for commercial fishing in the Pacific Ocean until the 1960s when it was converted to be used for crabbing. Over the years, the boat was passed between different owners and fell into disrepair.
It was purchased by marine geologist John Gregg in 2015 for $1 million and underwent a $6 million renovation in 2023 to its original design but also with a hybrid diesel-electric engine and science laboratory onboard. Gregg formed the Western Flyer Foundation in 2016 to support his conservation efforts.
Eighty-five years after the events of “The Log From the Sea of Cortez,” a four-person crew aboard the 77-foot vessel will retrace the famous path to intertidal sites and new areas around the Sea of Cortez, now known as the Gulf of California.
The ship will make stops along California and Mexico through June 16, each destination hosting a program of activities and educational tours. To track the boat’s real-time journey, visit here.
The Western Flyer can be toured on Saturday, March 22 at the following locations and times:
- Rainbow Harbor, Dock 4 near the Aquarium of the Pacific, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
- Alamitos Bay, public long dock at the end of Appian Way, 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Additionally, the 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 up to six guests.