This is for those of you who may be along the gulf coast. I have experienced a number of oil spills in San Pedro in the 1940's and early 50's--you don't want to get the oil or tar on your boat. Also if possible you want to protect any wetlands. This boom will be protecting a large wetland bayou with a narrow mouth and a canal with a dozen or so boats. Commercial booms cost about $30 a foot. They are stronger and better--but in calm waters, this will work well. Materials are resistant to the tars and petroleum products. I have now finished my first boom. It is 85 feet long and cost about $60. I say to all of you who have shoreline or boats in the water, it is advisable to protect them the best you can. The core of the boom is "pool noodles" from Wal-Mart (Sims, sporting goods stores). I used alternate 4" and 3" noodles strung on a 3/8" polypropylene rope. The major issue was going to be how to secure the 3 mil vinyl sheeting around the pool noodles. It turned out that a good high temp hot glue gun did the trick. You want the glue to just start to melt the sheeting and then put a block of wood, or a gloved hand on that glob of glue. It fuses the sheets together, and allows a good secure rap around the noodles. I obtained 50' x 3' roll of sheeting and cut it in half. This gave me 100 feet of sheeting. I have also two 10" 3/8" rebar which I have cut into 20 1 foot pieces. These will be glued into the sheathing to give some barrier just below the surface. The boom will be stabled to a bulkhead on one side and to a dead tree on the bank on the other side, with Monel staples--this will allow for tidal variation. It is an area protected fairly well from the chop. I am putting an 18" bright red ball in the center ($2) Wal mart--in a woven net. Bob Austin Pensacola, FL.