Finishing Touches-My Wooden Boat Dream Come True

              It has been a rough 2013 Winter here in Central Virginia in more ways then one. The cold and the snow events continue on until late March. Just last night we had 3 inches of snow and windy, blstery cold weather, Some of the flowering trees are late, some have flowered and are struggling. In like a lion and out like one too.  I am hoping April will usher in the type of weather we are accustomed to this time of year. In 1976, during my first year at U.Va., we had average temps of 75 during March and even had a peculiar heaat wave where temps went above 90 for the entire first week of March. My room mates from the now ethereal 240 Balz Dormitory Suite and I hitched a ride down to Virginia Beach where one of the guys lived. That was yours truly, a Boston boy's, first encounter with the beautiful waters of the Chesapeake Bay and the mid Atlantic Coast. We took Chas Jett's family wagon down to Hatteras for an overnight camp out on the beach just north of the Haterras light house. I had my first attempt at surfing on Charlies mega board and didn't fare too well so I resorted to body surfing. A most peculiar phenomenon was discovered where if you swam just 20 yards north of the sharp bend in the outer banks where the Hatteras Light House was the water was 65 degrees. If you walked past the light house to where you were 20 yards south of the bend, the water turned a deep crystalline blue...the Gulf Stream....and you were able to immerse yourself in 75 degree water. Imagine that! Just 40 yards of beach and the water went up by 10 degress and looked tropical. In the first week of March. 2 weeks later, I stayed at U. Va. during Spring Break while the beautful weahter persisted in central Virginia. During that week U.Va. won its first , and to this date, only ACC basketball tournament while in my hometown of Boston a blizzard raged on dumping some 2 feet of snow on the ground. It was during that week that I fell in love with Virginia forever.
              So if the weather had cooperated like it did in 1976, the Ashley Grey would have been launched by now. I will present the launch of my boat some time in May I hope . For now, some additional photos of finishing touches to show you.