The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-05-30
BY JOHN H. CRUMP

NflEil lLAt hNAffEG ctEA ltilu tliG
water at Bayou Casotte recently
julius c. Mccain realized an am
bition Of many years standing.
julius had worked fishing boats
of all types in Florida waters
for many years. and had deter
mined the type of boat he want
ed for lis very own if and when
he could afford to be the mas
ter of his wv boat.
Julius knew what he wanted,
but he couldn't find a boat
draughtsman who would agree
with him on the type of boat he
wished to build.
want a boat that will draw
Is inches Of water" he would
start out, and that's about as
far as he would get, for every
one would say it couldn't be
done.
But julius knew what he want
ed, and they say perseverance
counts; he finally contacted M.
NJ. Flechas, il, who learned.
boat designing the hard way
he learned from the bottom up
under his daddy. Flechas is super
intendent at the saipyard of Ar
mold Walker, who has quite a
reputation for shipbuilding in
these waters.
Young Flechas listened to Jul
JUS Mccain, and agreed with him
that a boat of the type he want
ed could be successfully built,
and that it would draw only Is
to 10 inches of water. Flechas
got on his pencils and paper,
angles, curves, compass, slide
rule and other instruments, and
proceeded to draw up a set OF
plans that would conform to the
ideas of julius Mccain.
julius didn't actually stand
over him while he was drawing
the plans, but there YER many
consultations between the two.
Finally Flechas drafted a set of
plans which suited julius in just
about every detail, Nand construc-
ton was begun late in January.
Julius is not a boat builder,
but, because he wanted a boat
of a type which had never been
see on the waters OF the Mis-
sissippi gulf coast before, he
wanted the best craftsman ne
could find; so he secured the
services Of John l.. Spicer, a
man who would rather Join two
boats pianks toge.her perfectly
than eat a founder deliclously
broiied in butter.
John Spieer learned boat build
ing with Arthur Southern, who
is well known on the Mississip-
D. coast a. a wood beat build
ar.
The LeMac has q length of so
feet. with a ~nine-fcot beam. 1t
has a v bottom with a ni1e-iEch
dead rise in the center which
levels out to one and ono-quar-
ter-ineh rise al the stern. The
hull is mate of one and one-quar-
ter-inch Juniper, cutie a novel
tv in boat building IN these wa
tiers.
II is a half-cabin affair, with
a six-foct deck forward, and an
eight-ineh wash Ri. The extreme
height Of the cabin Is p inches
above the Geek nd wash rail.
A flat type awning made OF
27-orncc material fastened to a
framework Of oao i7ch piping
covers the after deck from the
cabin to the stern.
No caulkfss was used Oh the
LeMae, exeep on the butt enos
of planking where It was diff
cut h secure q perfect planes
81 face. John Spieer could have.
built The null in about haif the
time if he had been using cauik-
ing instead of plank-to-plank
joining.
julius had been planning for
his boat a long time. He bought
ard received delivery or q ll5-
HIP. Chrysler Crown marine mo-
tor long before the pans we're
drawn. He and John II. Comp
bell. his partner in the venture,
made several trips TO r ida try
ire 70 locate Juniper trees with
natural bends Of Just the right
ape for the ribs. The tfaes were
found and me plauks N-re saw
ed and LAID up 10 season. More