You know, there are only two types of woodworkers: those that have more than three working hand planes, and those that don't. This isn't a judgement thing - just different goals and values.
Kim Darwin and his angelic wife Miranda (well, she plays the harp...) are most certainly the many-planes types. Their house is hand-made without being finicky; their garden has peace, tranquillity, and bounty even in February; their table is a nexus of acceptance and friendship; their music has authenticity and humour.
Their boats are really cool.
Our mutual friend Patrick Smith brokered a deal in which Kim and Miranda would pass the White Star project on to me. This was all based on a conversation Kim and I had about a billion years ago, concerning the hypothetical notion of the 'perfect boat'. Kim must have an excellent memory because, after all that time, he remembered a 15 minute mutual rant about craftsmanship, seaworthiness, the beauty of efficient displacement cruisers, and electrolysis (boat fastenings, not bikini lines). Then again, this is a guy who can pop out the changes to 'Frim Fram Sauce' in the key of Ab at any moment, then play it as a bossa.
So, here's the White Star. Gobs of history. A very satisfying boat (we hope). A narrative of failures and successes. Some off-topic blather. Some neat-o pictures.
Stay Tuned...
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