Arkansas traveler

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Burrman

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Aug 23, 2016
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Location
Akron.Ohio
Hello everyone , new guy here, just bought my first boat.
Its a 1955 13ft 8inch Arkansas traveler.
I have searched all over for some info on this particular boat but i am not having much luck, I ran across this place
during my search to try to find out the things I would like to try to find out.
This old boat seems to be really sturdy other than I am going to have to put a new gunwale on it.
I would like to possibly use the same kind wood they used on it but I have no idea what it was since its so deteriorated
then at the bottom of the boat there is just a round hole with 4 holes drilled around another hole in which I am sure was a flange for the boat drain. Does anybody know if these parts are still obtainable and where could I purchase it or will i have to find another route ? I`m also in wonder as to how to bend the gunwale when installing it without breaking, there has to be a trick to it that`s a pretty long bend for a 1/2" piece of wood and there will be 3 of them 2 inside the boat and one on the outside of the boat "per side" and where in the word can I find wood that long. Thanks in advance.
 
Pictures might help answer some of your questions. Besides, we like pictures. :) As for bending small diameter pieces of wood, steaming it is the best method I'm aware of.
[youtube]bwCMJY-hU-k[/youtube]
 
The wood is most likely White Oak.
Steaming is by far the best way to achieve your bends. Search Youtube for different ways to steam.
Those Arkansas Travelers are great boats! A friend of mine was searching high and low for a good
16' aluminum and found an AT and bought it on the spot. Hard to find.
 
Arkansas Travelers are great boats, my grandpa used to have one and he caught many fish in it.

With regards to the bilge plug, there are several fittings available, but the one for your boat may be proprietary and most that I've seen that sound like your description are brass, which doesn't interact well with aluminum. I assume there may be aluminum or plastic versions, but didn't see any on a quick internet search. Again, pictures would be helpful and fun to look at.
 
Thanks guys, I will try to post some pics this evening when I get back in town and if not this evening I will get them tomorrow evening.
 
Ok i got a couple pics of what I am working with.
those are both great tutorials on steaming, I am feeling a little better about this :) thanks
 

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If it were mine, I'd add a 5th hole in that drain (make a star pattern) then drill a piece of 1/8" aluminum to match the missing piece. Apply a generous amount of 5200 between the plate and the hull, and rivet or bolt the plate in place to cap that hole. Then just install a standard drain tube in the transom. Have you tested the hull to see if it's water tight yet?
 
Actually no I have not, I am new to all this, im guessing to test it I would have to fill the boat with water?
 
Once you have the hole issue resolved (what ever method you use for that), it is much easier to leave the boat on the trailer and fill the boat with enough water to be equal to the water line when it's sitting in the water. Then you just have to check for leaks and mark the leaking rivets. Next you can try to re buck the leaking rivets or install new ones to fix the leaks. Or you may choose to just paint the exterior with steelflex or similar product to stop the leaks if they are minor. Make sure your trailer and tires are in good shape before you start filling it with water though. You'll be amazed at how much weight that's going to be inside your boat when you get it filled.
 
I gotcha, water I believe is around 8lbs per gallon so yea it would weigh a bunch for sure. Im still searching for a trailer and that might take a little while just because finances are a little tight at the moment.
 
The brass flange style deck drain is readily available at
Big Box Marine Stores, E-Bay, some hardware stores,
I have gotten 3 from Bass Pro and they work well.
drain.jpg
the hole is the standard 1/2" pipe thread.
Some places sell just the brass plug for $14 bucks - rediculous !!
commonly $4.00 at Lowe's and Home Depot. [for the same plug].
 
Johnny said:
The brass flange style deck drain is readily available at
Big Box Marine Stores, E-Bay, some hardware stores,
I have gotten 3 from Bass Pro and they work well.

the hole is the standard 1/2" pipe thread.
Some places sell just the brass plug for $14 bucks - rediculous !!
commonly $4.00 at Lowe's and Home Depot. [for the same plug].

The biggest reasons I'd plug that hole and go with the more modern design of the plug in the transom.
1. You don't need a wrench to remove the plug, it's easily removed with just your fingers. 2. With the transom plug, you can remove it once the boat is on plane and it acts like a vacuum and sucks all the water out of the boat if you happened to get caught in the rain, or are having issues with some leaks.
 
Additionally, you have the problem of galvanic action between the brass garboard drain and the aluminum hull. I think I would plug that hole and install a tradition bilge plug in the transom. There are some threads here discussing installing the press sleeve for a bilge plug.

I don't know about removing a bilge plug on plane to pull water out; that seems like a risky proposition. As an alternative, my dad had one of these duck-bill drain plugs on his 16-ft Baja ski-boat and it did roughly the same thing (https://www.amazon.com/Atlantis-Bilge-Flapper-Kit-Aluminum/dp/B000UK9F7O/ref=sr_1_1) and you don't have to worry about taking out and replacing a plug.
 
I would also go with the vertically mounted standard transom plug. There is or was a guy that had some early Alumacraft styled threaded bung and plugs machined and was selling them. That would be a very nice set-up. Would have to be welded in but that's not a big issue. I bought and installed one. Will see if I can find that source again if you think you would like to go that way.
But.....to make the existing hull plug work a simple clamshell in front of the plug, on the bottom of the boat will allow the boat to drain while on plane. All early Orlando Clippers had this set up and it was pretty slick!
As far as galvanic corrosion goes brass and aluminum are not that far apart on the galvanic scale so that won't be much of an issue. Also am assuming
your boat will not spend seasons in the water vs. on a trailer when not in use.
 

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