Spline Weights For Sale

I have 14 pure lead spline weights for sale. They were cast by the fine folks over at www.splineweights.com before they ceased operation. These are the Whale model and their dimensions are as follows:

• 1 7/8 inches wide
• 4 7/8 inches long (not including brass rod)
• 1/8 inch brass rod
• 3 pounds
• Cast-in-place brass rods
• Green felt base

Here are some photos:



I paid $28.50 each for them and they are basically brand new. I'll let them go for $20 each AND I'll pay for the shipping to any U.S. address (keep in mind that the shipping weight will be 42 pounds) if you want the entire set of 14.

These are ideal for yacht design and building. You can use a personal check, money order, or PayPal. Get in touch with me at dave@truesouthyachts.com if you have any questions!

Wanna build a boat???

I think most of us boaters at one time or another have dreamed about building a boat. The reasons for it are probably as varied as all of us are. Some of us consider the economy of building a boat from scratch versus buying one new off the showroom floor. Others think of the romance involved in designing and building your own boat and then sailing it around the world. I think boat building in general appeals to the rebel that seems to be inside every boater.

That's all well and fine, but the reality of boat building is seldom anything like the fantasy of boat building. To build a seaworthy vessel from scratch can be a truly daunting venture; one of years of work, frustration, disappointment and, most of the time, non-completion. It is a sad fact that those who actually complete a boat and go cruising on it often measure the task in the number of years it took and the number of marriages it cost.

However, boat building isn't all despair and heartache. If the amateur boat builder approaches the project with realistic expectations and an honest appraisal of his or her skill level, it can be fun and very rewarding! That is why I recommend starting small to everyone that comes to me interested in building a boat. That's where your good old Uncle John comes in.

I'm referring of course to Uncle John's Pirogues, a company here in Louisiana that sells kits for the first-time boat builder. For those of you out of state, a pirogue is essentially a flat-bottomed canoe. Uncle John's pirogue kit comes with all the instructions to build a pirogue any size from 12 feet to 16 feet. More important, the kit comes with the necessary frames, eliminating what is probably the most difficult aspect of building a boat. The kit sells for $57.50 and that includes shipping.

They call this boat the 6-hour canoe, because that's how quickly it can be built. In all honesty, it took me about 3 weeks of working a few hours at a time to build mine. But I built a big one (16 feet) and I fiberglassed it, stained the inside, and painted the hull. Start to finish, including the cost of the kit, I had a really nice boat for about $200. Here are some pictures of the one I built:



As you can see, it can be done! This was a very easy project, but it taught me a LOT of the basics of boat building. I now know that I really enjoy building boats and I'm ready to tackle a much larger project. If you think you might like to build boats, or just want a great boat for about $200, get in touch with Uncle John's and get to work!

Feel free to leave any questions or comments and I'll be sure to get back to you soon.

Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival this weekend

The annual Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival is coming up this weekend, October 13th and 14th! This is a festival that gets bigger and more exciting each year. It takes place along the banks of the Tchefuncte River in Madisonville, Louisiana.

This festival is definitely worth the trip. The boats are gorgeous, there are tons of activities for the kids, the food is phenomenal, and the entertainment is top notch. Local favorites Four Unplugged will be on stage at the end of the festival.

One of the best parts of the festival every year is the Quick & Dirty Boat Building Contest. This is where all the entrants are given the same boat building materials and have to design and build a boat to win a race on the river the next day! Some of the boats built are just glorified rafts, but some of them are actually well-thought out designs that make the crowd wonder how they were built so quickly. The best part is the race itself, because it is hilarious! Trust me - someone always ends up in the river!

For more info and for ticket information, go to www.woodenboatfest.org and they'll have everything you need. See you out there!