After a week of tragedy and heartache, maybe this will give you something good to think about ... The story goes like this ... A man named BobbyD used to come fishing to Hatteras with Ernie Fosters father Ernal on the Albatross I. He brought his son Greg with him on many of those trips ... Slow forward over the years and Greg still remembers those roundstern lines of the Albatross when he calls Ernie to see who might could build such a vessel for him, a boat to be named BobbyD ... Ernie told him to call Jimmy (Amspacher, the husband) and so he did. Jimmy told him there was only one man for that job -- Jamie Lewis. And so, Greg journeyed up to Harkers Island and found Jamie. And the rest, as they say, is history. That was over four years ago and there have been many calls and visits, lots of work, lots of sanding, lots of juniper and 5200 and more sanding in that old metal shed that stands proud as Lewis Brothers ... Visitors have stopped in, local boatbuilders and fishermen have come and stayed, and the work and the tradition continued. Some said shed never come out of the shed, but she did (just like all the others before her) and the Island people watched and swelled with pride. This past week she was launched - in the rain and without fanfare - but when she hit the water Burgess and Brady, Mr. Julian and Mr. Earl and James, all of them heard her spash ... She is a pretty rig. And shell make all of Harkers Island proud wherever she ties up or throws that spray off her flared bow. Jamie and James have more than a boat to be proud of - it is a family inheritance, a legacy of innate talent and pure artistry. Family members helped (and gave advice Im sure) and others took on certain jobs, but this was James and Jamies testament to generations of Harkers Islands family boatbuilding tradition. The Bobby D says all youll ever need to know about the Lewis Brothers, and the Lewis grandfather, sons and grandson, and great-grandson. The tradition DOES continue. Jimmy says this will be the last wood roundstern built on this island. I refuse to believe that ... No Jamie and Jimmy, she aint gonna be the last. James will lead on in his quiet way that is as trademark to the Lewis family as the sheer coming off her bow. James will keep on ... And then theres Derek and Landon, and there will be others ... just wait and see. We wont let it be the last - will we Billy Merkley?
Posted on: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 22:36:46 +0000
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