Need a good accountant??  We love our guys. They came by for lunch once and we had Jack pose with a sander. Great number crunching and a sense of humor. You can't beat that.

Jack Schulze and Assoc. website

Try the links below and let us know what you think

Repair Information Menu

J-24 Racing Motor Mount

J-24 Stanchion Repair Kit

Fred's Laser Rigging Photos

 Laser and General Sailboat Maintenance Advice

Easter Laser Regatta 2011

Dr Laser Archives

Keelboat Launching on Ramps

Before and After Shots

Fred's Photo Archive

Skipper the beloved Golden Doofus' Photos

New November 2008 Laser and Sunfish Foils repairs page

Shop History

Payment Policies

As long as I have everyone's attention...

Last May,  Conrad Meub brought his boat to my shop to have its entire exterior painted. The boat was to be delivered in near paintable condition and we had agreed to do minor preparation and application of the coatings for a total of $3000.

When the boat arrived, Conrad began adding tasks and even changing specifications like the location of the waterline, having us perform 12 hours of repairs to the rudder, having us repair blisters, demand special special sanding specifications for the epoxy before antifoulant application, fair in an absurdly installed through hull for a depth meter sending unit, and by the time we had completed just the bottom of the boat, we had performed over $4000 in work at our usual shop rates.

As Conrad had proven to be a particularly difficult customer to serve, by making his daily time consuming visits and constant requests for additional work, and because we believed painting his topsides and deck could easily tie up our facilities and bring on his daily time consuming visits for another two or three weeks,  we offered an option to Conrad to pay a discounted bill for just the bottom work and take his boat to another service provider. He was given until Friday August 21, 2009 to exercise his option to pay a discounted price and take his boat elsewhere.

Conrad was insistent we reconsider and complete his boat.

 While I was driving to Canada for the Laser Masters Worlds in Halifax, Conrad consumed two of my afternoons discussing his desires and plans for his boat.  Conrad promised to pay for all the additional work already performed and chose to keep his boat at our shop and to have us complete the topsides and deck. We agreed to allow him to work on his boat at my facility during my absence. My staff  set out an extension cord to reach his boat and my staff was made available to offer guidance. Conrad and I made an appointment to meet on September 10, 2009 to discuss and attempt to decide how to price the completion of the work which Conrad and I agreed was much different than simply wiping down and painting the topsides and deck.

The two lengthy phone calls were witnessed by my passenger in the pickup truck who heard 100% of my end of the conversations.


While he knew I was in Canada sailing in the Laser masters Worlds, Conrad Meub on the afternoon of September 2, 2009, stole my trailer and his Kittiwake 23 sailboat from my property. He stole the boat while my wife was standing beside the boat. First she called me using the very same phone number Conrad had used just days before and told me Conrad was at our boat yard with his pickup truck hooked to our non road worthy un licensed yard trailer. We agreed to insist Conrad either pay his bill or leave our boat trailer on our property. My wife was talking with the 911 operator when Conrad Meub crossed our property line and stole my property. The Sheriff deputy arrived about a half hour later.

While I was spending hours on the cell phone talking at $.20 per minute to various Texans, the other sailors from all over the world were busy having the grand opening ceremonies and dinner social which had been delayed to an evening in  the middle of the event by a hurricane's passing the evening before the event began. I had just finished third, as the first North American,  in the last race of the day and had moved into sixth place overall.  Iwas removed from the event by a phone call from Texas. The Canadian hosts served over 1500 pounds of seafood at that dinner. Thanks to Conrad Meub and his choice of a time to steal from me, I missed the chance to sit and talk with sailors from all over the world. I attended one such event in Cancun in 2000 and made many friends from around the planet. 10 years later I was deprived from enjoying the chance to sit and meet with them for a second time by Conrad Meub's decision to rob me.  Even if Conrad Meub eventually pays his bill, he will never be able to replace the evening's experience he stole from my life. I have no idea whether the distractions resulting from Conrad Meub's robbery of my home and my spouse changed my performance for the remainder of the regatta. I do know I missed the North American team photo, an elegant dinner, spent hours of that which would have been preparation time on the phone with Sheriff detectives, Austin boat business associates, my staff,  and my wife,  and failed to hold on to sixth place.   Perhaps a judge will force Conrad Meub, as part of his restitution,  to pay  all my expenses so I may attend another World Laser Masters Championship

Later that afternoon, while I was grabbing dinner at a local Subway, because I missed out on the free fabulous dinner,  one of my business associates and good friend called because he had located the boat and my trailer at Fred Toler's wood shop. I called the Travis County Sheriff and informed the investigating officer of the location of the stolen trailer and boat.

I called Fred Toler, on my cell phone from Canada, and informed him the boat and trailer were stolen property and Fred went to see the Travis County Sheriff Deputies at their office one mile from my boat shop. A deal was struck where Fred would not be arrested for receiving stolen goods if he would impound the boat until I returned from Canada. The impound was set up to run until  September 12, 2009.

On September 8, 2009 Conrad Meub lied to Fred Toler's son who was alone at the wood shop when Conrad Meub came to steal the boat and trailer for a second time. Conrad convinced the younger Toler "everything had been taken care of" and young Mr Toler let Conrad hook up and steal the trailer and boat from the Sheriff's impound.

On that same September 8, while I was somewhere in Kentucky while driving back to Texas, I had a conversation with the investigating Travis County Sheriff detective who suggested it would be most simple for everyone concerned if I would simply "pick up the boat and trailer from Toler's" when I returned to Texas on September 10. Neither of us was aware, Conrad Meub had stolen again and it was too late for such a simple solution.

We had wanted to treat the matter as a personal thing and avoid ruining Conrad's reputation and perhaps break up his family. His theft of my services amounts to about $4400. In Texas that felony of which I am accusing Conrad Meub has a name. Felony Theft of services with Jail Time. If Conrad is eventually convicted, and the judge considers Conrad's refusal to live within the law to be a serious matter, that conviction will put him in jail.  Here's a link for the lawyers among you>>>  Texas Penal Code - Section 31.04 Theft of Service l

Upon my return to Texas I was presented with a letter left by Conrad on the day he stole my non street legal trailer and his boat from my property. In that letter I had not previously had a chance to read, Conrad alleged I was taking too long to complete the work he wanted my shop to perform and further alleged that I had not completed work for which I had neither been paid nor asked to be paid. He alleged I had caused damages to his boat that were already present and visible on the day Conrad delivered his boat to my shop. He alleged during the time between our late August telephone discussion when Conrad Meub made an appointment to meet with me on September 10 and the time he stole my trailer and his boat on September 2nd, he had lost confidence in our ability to complete his project in a timely manner.

Another well known and respected local boat repair shop had great difficulty meeting Conrad Meub's expectations. From the first week of September 2009, Conrad's Kittiwake was at Ericsen Marine where, for the NINE months, the Ericsen Marine Staff  was unable to complete painting of the topsides and deck to meet Conrad's expectations.

As of today, I have received zero payments from Conrad Meub and at some point, I suppose I will have to begin the process of using the strength of our government to force Conrad Meub to either do the right thing or go to jail.

In the meantime, Conrad owes me over $4000 and it appears I will have to spend considerable additional time chasing payment..

June 17th update:  I have an email from another owner of a boat repair facility in which that owner wrote, "Conrad did indeed tell me you have been paid."
 

Apparently I may now add LIAR to Conrad Meub the Thief's title.

More before and after shots? Click on the link below

Before and After Shots

Romulan Vessel hanging in shop

being disguised as a Corsair 28

On January 27, 2010. Waldo continues his political career by delivering the yet another Canine reply.

 He was so confident he didn't even take a bath first. He came straight from rolling on the muddy

White House lawn with the First Family's Portuguese Water Dog, slapped on this suit and began speaking>>

    "My fellow Pooches. Tonight the State of the Union is muddy and wet.

 We can do better and we must.

     " I believe there must be immediate legislation passed to provide each home with the funding

to keep a jar of biscuits not just by the back door but by every door in every house in America.

My plan for regular vet care for every dog was not met well politically.

 I suppose bringing up cats was not exactly a good idea, I was chewed up in the polls.

 However we must try to work even with the cats.

There is no need to continuously campaign for our respective sides by tattling about  claw marks and chewed furniture.

To use their terms 'We must claw our way through this."....

He continued for many minutes. .

Waldo's Full Speech

Ouch!!  Help help!!

I got fiberglass on me!!!

click here for help

Taken on the day he arrived and a couple weeks later with his paw in the dish, this is Waldo our  new super vigilant Schroth Fiberglass watch dog. No robberies since he arrived May of 2007.

Click on either photo to see the shots we took on his arrival day.

Worried about Travis Lake water consumption??

Click on their website head above to visit the site.

New J-105 hanging in hoist for Bottom Paint summer 2005. Is that keel really crooked?

See More Photos??: Travis At Sunrise

This shot was taken in late 1991. Lake Travis is flooded to about 710 feet above mean sea level (MSL). Fred took this shot from Psycho the J-24 #187. This is the spillway on Mansfield dam. Its height is 714 above MSL. The next day the LCRA asserted its power as an unelected quasi government agency and arbitrarily closed the lake to everybody but their bureaucrats and  minions.

We have lots of photos taken around the lake at levels ranging from 634 to 710 above MSL

Lake Travis Various Level Shots

2007 Flood

Click on the photo to see more

Eventual Trophy winner from most Easter Laser Regattas. Auggie lives with our perennial Minnesota visitor and Radial fleet chief Judge. Click on the thumbnails to view the photos.

Easter Laser Regatta 2011

Coming someday maybe

New  t shirts !!!

 Schroth Fiberglass / America's Favorite Boatshop© T Shirts

Old Sailor's Keep Their Sails Full But Their Minds Are Often Luffing©

There will soon be more catchy clever phrases and products in our

Luffing Minds© line of products

Our Lake is back!!!

Above is September 2009 at 639 above sea level and below is February 2010 at 670. It's still ten feet from full but it's a whole lot more fun for sailing here now!!