Say hello to Jura, a daughter of the Pacific Northwest. Born in 1978 in Sidney, BC, she’s a blend of craftsmanship and modern yacht design. Built by the legendary Bent Jesperson and his talented team, Jura’s sleek lines come from a modified Doug Peterson design that’s as pragmatic as it is elegant. Thoughtfully constructed and lovingly maintained, Jura is a true joy to pilot, and also my home.
Many people that I speak to are deathly afraid of owning wood boats, often for good reason—they need to be tenderly cared for and nursed, and do not like to be neglected. But beyond the practical considerations, of which there are many pros and cons of wood versus fibreglass, steel, aluminum, cement, etc, I think there is a different spirit present in wood, perhaps because of all of the care and love that must go into keeping them beautiful. And I think that spirit has an effect on us: just as art has the power to key our souls up to a higher note (to reference Kandinsky), so too does excellent craftsmanship, for instance, the art of caring for bright work, have the opportunity to key our souls up to sweeter tune. It’s a tune that finds harmony with different values, ones of patience, care, diligence, passion, rather than ones of economy, expediency, and efficiency. Our society seems to have placed an immoderate emphasis on the latter three E values. An overemphasis that one might argue is tearing apart our sense of wholeness and connectedness, of enchantment, with ourselves, each other, and the world around us.
Many people that I speak to are deathly afraid of owning wood boats, often for good reason—they need to be tenderly cared for and nursed, and do not like to be neglected. But beyond the practical considerations, of which there are many pros and cons of wood versus fibreglass, steel, aluminum, cement, etc, I think there is a different spirit present in wood, perhaps because of all of the care and love that must go into keeping them beautiful. And I think that spirit has an effect on us: just as art has the power to key our souls up to a higher note (to reference Kandinsky), so too does excellent craftsmanship, for instance, the art of caring for bright work, have the opportunity to key our souls up to sweeter tune. It’s a tune that finds harmony with different values, ones of patience, care, diligence, passion, rather than ones of economy, expediency, and efficiency. Our society seems to have placed an immoderate emphasis on the latter three E values. An overemphasis that one might argue is tearing apart our sense of wholeness and connectedness, of enchantment, with ourselves, each other, and the world around us.
