Blog from the Sea of Cortez: The Steinbeck Head

After 50+ years of neglect and 6 months underwater, large parts of the Flyer were totally rotten and had to be replaced, but there is one part that is almost 100% original: the "Steinbeck Head." Yes, you too can sit where John Steinbeck sat 85 years ago!

The Steinbeck Toilet after 6 months on the bottom
and a bit of cleanup. Photo by Susan Shillinglaw.

Both the head and the toilet were in surprisingly good shape. The toilet was filthy, there was a crack in the porcelain base, the flapper valve was not functional, and some of the floor tiles were missing, but everything else was in excellent condition.

Captain Paul spend coutless hours cleaning the sludge from inside and outside of the toilet. The base was repaired with a bit of epoxy. 

The flapper valve assembly was replaced with a modern one, although the lever is original.

The original lever, cleaned up and still in use.
Photo by Phil Sconce.

The insides after cleaning. The float is not original,
but it has the same soldered construction. Photo by Phil Sconce.

The missing tiles were more of a challenge. We couldn't find exact replacements, but then Phil noticed that the toilet was actually sitting on top of some untouched tiles. He took the toilet off, carefully chiseled out enough of these hidden tiles to replace the missing tiles, bedded them in concrete, then put the toilet back on. 

The results are striking: the head looks pretty much exactly as it did 85 years ago! It's one of the favorite attractions on the boat.

The head as it looks today.
Photo by Sherry Flumerfelt

Despite the extensive restoration, hidden here and there are some
nearly untouched spots. Here's one: you can still see the barnacle marks on the
window from when Flyer was underwater. Perhaps you can find some others?

Blog from the Sea of Cortez: 17 March 2025

The weather for most of our sendoff on Sunday was very pleasant: sunny, warm, and calm. But an hour before departure, it started blowing hard --- about 20 kn, gusting to 25 kn from the south. Once we rounded Point Pinos, we felt the full sea state. Maybe 8-9' seas.

Unfortunately, shortly afterwards, we had our first accident: me. I was climbing up out of the fish hold, having just posted the blog before this one.  The companionway is covered by a heavy sliding hatch, which often sticks. Knowing this, I gingerly gave it a pull, then again, this time more forcefully. The hatch slid open suddenly, just as the boat took a roll to port. My left thumb got scissored between the frame and the hatch itself, leaving a cut down to the bone and blood everywhere.

Andrea, our Captain, and I had a brief discussion about whether to keep going or head back.After a lot of staring at the wound, she summarized the situation well: "The use of your hand is worth more than an hour of our time." So back we went. I ended up spending Sunday evening at CHOMP, the Monterey hospital, while the boat continued down the coast. Diagnosis is that I will need to see a hand surgeon in a week. Meanwhile, the risk of an infection is great, so I'm to be on antibiotics, while changing the bandage twice a day.

Bandaged and good to go.

After getting patched up, John Gregg (our founder) and I drove down the coast the next day and I rejoined Flyer in Santa Barbara.

Sherry, our Executive Director, says that every great trip starts with a disaster. If so, I took one for the team and got that out of the way.

Blog from the Sea of Cortez: 16 March 2025

“It would be good to live in a perpetual state of leave-taking, never to go nor to stay, but to remain suspended in that golden emotion of love and longing; to be loved without satiety."

--- Log from the Sea of Cortez

We had a good and proper send off! We spent 3 hours offering public tours of the boat and hundreds showed up. We were on a hard deadline to leave not only because that was what the crowds expected, but because a foul squall line was fast approaching with big southerlies associated with it. We knew we were in for a possibly rough passage past Big Sur, but if we got out quickly, the fetch wouldn't have time to build and maybe we'd get out of the worst of it.

That deadline meant that we had to rush people through the boat, perhaps a little faster than they were prepared to move. For the first time, we opened up the engine compartment, so that took a little longer. Still, in the end, everyone got a good and proper, albeit occasionally rushed, tour.

We were looking good for our 1500 departure, but then crisis hit. There were 9 people on board, but only 8 immersion suits. Fortunately, relief skipper Brian had one on his boat. He completed the round trip journey to Moss Landing in record time, probably breaking more than a few laws on the way, but we had our suit and it was time to go.

Despite the nearly one hour delay, hundreds of people hung in there to say good bye. As we cast off the lines, a cheer ripped through the crowd. I must admit to feeling more than a little emotional about being on the receiving end of all that good will.

And, so we are off!

The Fishwives Sea Shanty band sings from the top of the deckhouse.

Some of the many people wishing us Bon Voyage!

Blog from the Sea of Cortez: 15 March 2025

Western Flyer is the boat that took John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts to the Gulf of California in the spring of 1940, after which they published Sea of Cortez: A Leisurely Journal of Travel and Research. Steinbeck's better known, and very influential, book Log from the Sea of Cortez is the narrative part of Sea of Cortez. It's a very readable travelogue about the voyage --- a heady mix of science, philosophy, environmentalism, and adventure. It heavily influenced me to get into a career in oceanography.

The boat was nearly lost to history, but thanks to John Gregg and the Western Flyer Foundation, it was saved and meticulously restored over the last 8 years. She is now fully seaworthy and kitted out as a research and educational platform. More at the Foundation's website.

I've been involved with the Foundation for about 7 years now, first as a groupie, later on the Board, and for the last 5 years, as President of the Board. 

Tomorrow (Sunday) we leave from Monterey to recreate parts of the voyage. More here. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that I'm giddy with excitement! I intend to publish updates as we go along. 

But, before that moment when you shove off, there's always a mad time getting the boat ready. We have a lot of equipment --- scientific equipment (x2 for spares), boat spare parts, crew gear, provisions, a dinghy, gangway --- it all has to be securely stowed for a long voyage. In particular, we are expecting rough seas on Sunday night, so we have to be ready from the very start.

Flyer the night before departure from Moss Landing

Just a small portion of the provisions. This will only get us to Santa Barbara!

If all goes well, we will reach Santa Barbara late on Monday night (17 March).