THE RESTORER'S JOURNEY
JON WILSON
“That was where I found my heart’s home: on the water and around boats.”
- JON WILSON, Founder WoodenBoat magazine
This film is a cinematic portrait of the man who took on a monumental task to change the course of wooden boat history. Jon Wilson's passion to preserve wooden boats has inspired generations of boat builders, boat owners, and boat dreamers. When he launched the first issue of WoodenBoat magazine in 1974, he had no idea how the effect would ripple out into the hearts and minds of hundreds of thousands of readers on every continent. Jon subsequently expanded the reach of the magazine through book publishing and by establishing the WoodenBoat School and WoodenBoat Show, Professional Boatbuilder Magazine and Hope Magazine. Self taught and self made–guided by mentors who “appeared” just as he needed them–Jon Wilson will leave an indelible mark on the boating world and beyond.
“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
“Oleg and Kat 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
“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.”
LEZA TELLAM
CEO AND FOUNDER, FLOWER DISTRICT COMPANIES