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I am looking for some caulking irons to use to do some work on my boat.And most of the local boatbuilders are reluctant to lend them out. I also need to know how the sizing worksso that I can get the right size for my boat.
Any help will be much appreciated.

Have a look in "Wooden Boat" magazine, I'm sure there will be something in the classifieds.

Traditionally these tools would either be handed down from father to son, or an aprentice would actually make their own. I guess you'd make them to suit the profile of the gap between planks, for first run and second run....

Don't bother filling in the old slots.  You are better to just cut new slots into the winches.  They don't need to be at 90 degrees to the old slots, so long as they are directly opposite to each other.  Give yourself lots of space in case you screw up the first and second time.  (I speak from experience).

You really do need to be VERY careful in the size and position of the new slots.  It is likely that your old winch is not perfectly round, so it takes some work to get it right.  Don't rush. Take a lot of time and measurements to make sure they are exactly where you want them.  You need a precise milling machine to measure exactly.

[snip] ... but this leaves the grand total of boats not suffering severe damage (so far) at 2

That's on this leg only.  Puma lost their rig on leg 1; Groupama had delamination problems right at the end of leg 4.  Nobody's gone unscathed.  Some have coped better than others (often through chance, not design or talent).  As a "fix it" lesson, the above vid. is great.  As a testament to the VOR, the designers, engineer, builders and crews, not so much.  

Think what the world of sailing would be like if two thirds of all Beneteaus, say, were crippled by delamination. Of course a total of zero Beneteaus are racing in the roaring forties and furious fifties.  Let's keep 'em out of that stuff.

yeah, I did mean just on this leg. the last place I'd want my boat delamming is in the southern ocean, where you're the farthest from any kind of help and the conditions are essentially unforgiving.

I had a few tours of Spartan from Andy Giblin at MP&G while they were doing the restoration. Great guys who do fantastic work. The restoration was very dedicated and accurate, going so far as to replace the hex nuts in the frames from an earlier re-framing with square nuts. Haven't seen the finished product, but can imagine it's awesome.

I had a few tours of Spartan from Andy Giblin at MP&G while they were doing the restoration. Great guys who do fantastic work. The restoration was very dedicated and accurate, going so far as to replace the hex nuts in the frames from an earlier re-framing with square nuts. Haven't seen the finished product, but can imagine it's awesome.

Based on early info it was those sheds near the BYC  that went up (with boats in them)  Probably no sailboats unless it jumped to one.  Damn shame no matter what.  City of Seattle now requires standpipes in covered moorages'.  So welcome to sprinklerville on re-build.