Special Event: JON WILSON- THE RESTORER’S JOURNEY

This new documentary produced by Life on the Water is a cinematic portrait of Jon Wilson, the man who founded WoodenBoat Magazine in 1974. Through Wilson’s passion for honoring and preserving the art of wooden boats, his magazine has rippled out and connected countless boating enthusiasts worldwide. His story is a triumphant one, about a man whose journey takes him from troubled beginnings to success and finding purpose and meaning in his life. In conjunction with the screening of this 40-minute film, there will be a Q+A with Filmmaker Oleg Harencar and Jon Wilson. Special guest speaker, Ron Holland, Yacht Designer. Run time: 40 min

CAPE HORN PASSAGE IN SCHOONER WANDER BIRD

On June 26, 1936, Wander Bird, an 85 foot schooner under the command of Captain Warwick M, Tompkins Sr., set sail from Gloucester, MA to San Francisco via the treacherous Cape Horn with a crew of 10 including his family. Tompkins, Sr. wrote the book “Fifty South to Fifty South” about their incredible journey. For decades, the book has inspired many to seek out their own nautical adventures. His son Warwick “Commodore” Tompkins, now in his 80’s, recalls and offers insight into the extraordinary adventure of the passage around Cape Horn aboard Wander Bird from the eyes of a 4 year old boy discovering a world that most of us will never get to experience. Run time: 28 min.

“I truly enjoyed the film!  I thought it caught Jon’s spirit in just the right way providing a most personal and insightful view of a man I have long respected.”
– Stephen C. White, President MYSTIC SEAPORT

This is a triumphant story of finding a special place in the world, building a community and never losing sight of one’s connection to solving real problems requiring enduring solutions. Jon is a true and inspiring entrepreneur who proves making a living in America can be redemptive and purposeful. I am grateful to have benefitted from his work personally through the WoodenBoat school, in particular.”
– Leza Tellam, CEO and Founder, Flower District Companies 

“Oleg Harencar and Kat Lusher have crafted a fine portrait of Jon Wilson that yields insights into his character and the influences on his life and career, ranging from what motivated him in the early days to start WoodenBoat magazine to what inspires him today in his humanitarian work as a facilitator in victim-offender dialogue.”
– Craig S. Milner, friend and longtime WoodenBoat contributor