The Western Flyer : Steinbeck's boat, the Sea of Cortez, and the saga of Pacific fisheries

In January 2010, the __Gemini__ was moored in the Swinomish Slough on a Native American reservation near Anacortes, Washington. Unbeknownst to almost everyone, the rusted and dilapidated boat was in fact the most famous fishing vessel ever to have sailed: the original __Western Flyer__, immortalized in John Steinbeck’s nonfiction classic __The Log from the Sea of Cortez__. In this book, Kevin M. Bailey resurrects this forgotten witness to the changing tides of Pacific fisheries. He draws on the Steinbeck archives, interviews with family members of crew, and more than three decades of working in Pacific Northwest fisheries to trace the depletion of marine life through the voyages of a single ship. After Steinbeck and his friend Ed Ricketts—a pioneer in the study of the West Coast’s diverse sea life and the inspiration behind “Doc” in __Cannery Row__—chartered the boat for their now-famous 1940 expedition, the __Western Flyer__ returned to its life as a sardine seiner in California. But when the sardine fishery in Monterey collapsed, the boat moved on: fishing for Pacific ocean perch off Washington, king crab in the Bering Sea off Alaska, and finally wild Pacific salmon—all industries that would also face collapse. As the __Western Flyer__ herself faces an uncertain future—a businessman has bought her, intending to bring the boat to Salinas, California, and turn it into a restaurant feature just blocks from Steinbeck’s grave—debates about the status of the California sardine, and of West Coast fisheries generally, have resurfaced. A compelling and timely tale of a boat and the people it carried, of fisheries exploited, and of fortunes won and lost, __The Western Flyer__ is environmental history at its best: a journey through time and across the sea, charting the ebb and flow of the cobalt waters of the Pacific coast. "In January 2010, the "Gemini "was moored in the Swinomish Slough on a Native American reservation near Anacortes, Washington. Unbeknownst to almost everyone, the rusted and dilapidated boat was in fact the most famous fishing vessel ever to have sailed: the original "Western Flyer," immortalized in John Steinbeck's nonfiction classic "The Log from the Sea of Cortez." In this book, Kevin M. Bailey resurrects this forgotten witness to the changing tides of Pacific fisheries. He draws on the Steinbeck archives, interviews with family members of crew, and more than three decades of working in Pacific Northwest fisheries to trace the depletion of marine life through the voyages of a single ship. After Steinbeck and his friend Ed Ricketts--a pioneer in the study of the West Coast's diverse sea life and the inspiration behind "Doc" in "Cannery Row"--chartered the boat for their now-famous 1940 expedition, the "Western Flyer" returned to its life as a sardine seiner in California. But when the sardine fishery in Monterey collapsed, the boat moved on: fishing for Pacific ocean perch off Washington, king crab in the Bering Sea off Alaska, and finally wild Pacific salmon--all industries that would also face collapse. As the "Western Flyer" herself faces an uncertain future--a businessman has bought her, intending to bring the boat to Salinas, California, and turn it into a restaurant feature just blocks from Steinbeck's grave--debates about the status of the California sardine, and of West Coast fisheries generally, have resurfaced. A compelling and timely tale of a boat and the people it carried, of fisheries exploited, and of fortunes won and lost, "The Western Flyer" is environmental history at its best: a journey through time and across the sea, charting the ebb and flow of the cobalt waters of the Pacific coast."-- provided by publisher In January 2010, the Gemini was moored in the Swinomish Slough on a Native American reservation near Anacortes, Washington. Unbeknownst to almost everyone, the rusted and dilapidated boat was in fact the most famous fishing vessel ever to have sailed: the original Western Flyer , immortalized in John Steinbeck’s nonfiction classic The Log from the Sea of Cortez . In this book, Kevin M. Bailey resurrects this forgotten witness to the changing tides of Pacific fisheries. He draws on the Steinbeck archives, interviews with family members of crew, and more than three decades of working in Pacific Northwest fisheries to trace the depletion of marine life through the voyages of a single ship. After Steinbeck and his friend Ed Ricketts—a pioneer in the study of the West Coast’s diverse sea life and the inspiration behind “Doc” in Cannery Row —chartered the boat for their now-famous 1940 expedition, the Western Flyer returned to its life as a sardine seiner in California. But when the sardine fishery in Monterey collapsed, the boat moved on: fishing for Pacific ocean perch off Washington, king crab in the Bering Sea off Alaska, and finally wild Pacific salmon—all industries that would also face collapse. As the Western Flyer herself faces an uncertain future—a businessman has bought her, intending to bring the boat to Salinas, California, and turn it into a restaurant feature just blocks from Steinbeck’s grave—debates about the status of the California sardine, and of West Coast fisheries generally, have resurfaced. A compelling and timely tale of a boat and the people it carried, of fisheries exploited, and of fortunes won and lost, The Western Flyer is environmental history at its best: a journey through time and across the sea, charting the ebb and flow of the cobalt waters of the Pacific coast. Contents 6 Prologue 8 1. INTRODUCTION: An Iconic Boat, Steinbeck, and Pacific Fisheries 16 2. WESTERN FLYER: Setting the Stage 22 3. THE SEA OF CORTEZ: A Grand Trip on the Western Flyer 38 4. THE CALIFORNIA SARDINE FISHERY: A Story of Fortune, Politics, and Woe 68 5. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SARDINES? : The Ecological View of Ed Ricketts 82 6. ROSE-COLORED SEA: Captain Dan Luketa and the Pacific Ocean Perch Fishery 92 7. NORTH TO ALASKA: The Return of the Western Flyer to the Aleutians and the Red King Crab Fishery 108 8. THE GEMINI YEARS: A Tale of the Red-Fleshed Pacific Salmon 120 9. THE LONG ROAD HOME: End of the Voyage 148 Acknowledgments 156 Notes 160 References 176 Index 184 With a timely tale of a boat and the people it carried, of fisheries exploited, and of fortunes won and lost, this book offers an environmental history, a journey through time and across the sea, charting the ebb and flow of the cobalt waters of the Pacific coast.