Sponsored by The Port of Coos Bay, Western Flyer Foundation, 7Devils, Soulcraft.

Built in Tacoma in 1937, the Western Flyer became famous when John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts sailed it to the Gulf of California in 1940, later chronicled in The Log from the Sea of Cortez.

After decades of fishing, two sinkings, and a meticulous restoration led by the Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-op, the vessel now serves as a platform for ocean science research and education.

In spring 2026, the Western Flyer will travel north along the Pacific coast, returning to the waters of the Pacific Northwest where the vessel was built and worked.

This voyage reconnects the Western Flyer with the region where it was brought back to life—and brings hands-on ocean science programs to coastal communities across Oregon and Washington.

More information about the Western Flyer Foundation can be found HERE

Sunday, May 10

Part 1: On the Waterfront Free Tours of the Western Flyer 200 S. Bayshore Drive, Coos Bay
2:00 - 4:00 PM

Part 2: Evening Program Between Pacific Tides: Science, Story & the Sea
Egyptian Theater, 229 S Broadway, Coos Bay
4:30 - 5:30 PM - Pre-show refreshments
5:30 - 7:00 PM - Talk & Film Talk: “Ricketts, Steinbeck, and the aspirations of young marine scientists” by Dr. Craig Young (OIMB), hosted by Dr. Jack Barth (Oregon State University). Film: “We Simply Liked It” Award-winning short film from the Western Flyer’s 2025 Gulf of California journey.

Admission $5 at the door or online HERE