September 25, 2025
Sherry Flumerfelt
Executive Director
The Western Flyer Comeback Story: Raising Spirits Since 1940
In 1940, author John Steinbeck and marine biologist Ed Ricketts set out aboard the Western Flyer on a beer-stocked voyage that became The Log from the Sea of Cortez: a journey that has inspired generations of scientists, conservationists, and ocean lovers.
Eighty-five years later, the Western Flyer sails again, fully restored and relaunched as a floating classroom and community hub for scientists, students, fishers, artists, and dreamers.
At Ocean Hoptimism, Sherry Flumerfelt, Executive Director of the Western Flyer Foundation, explored how this storied vessel still connects us to that historic voyage, how its comeback keeps Steinbeck and Ricketts’ spirit of curiosity alive, and how the Foundation is opening its decks to today’s communities—especially students who have never had the chance to even see the ocean. By bringing them aboard to experience hands-on marine science, the Western Flyer is extending its legacy of discovery, art, and stewardship to a new generation.
Her talk revealed that the Flyer is more than a restored boat: it’s a bridge across decades of ocean stories, reminding us that when we honor the past and engage the present, we can keep hope afloat for the future.
The ocean needs many diverse voices, and the Western Flyer is a place where they can come together—inviting curiosity that’s the first step toward true stewardship.
—Sherry Flumerfelt
