# Arkansas traveler



## Burrman (Aug 23, 2016)

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.


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## JMichael (Aug 24, 2016)

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]


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## Pappy (Aug 24, 2016)

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.


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## enginerd (Aug 24, 2016)

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.


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## Burrman (Aug 24, 2016)

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.


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## Pappy (Aug 24, 2016)

This is probably the easiest way I have seen to date on exactly what you want to do. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--iPQIwSEJM


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## Burrman (Aug 24, 2016)

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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## JMichael (Aug 25, 2016)

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?


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## Burrman (Aug 25, 2016)

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?


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## JMichael (Aug 25, 2016)

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.


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## Burrman (Aug 25, 2016)

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.


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## Johnny (Aug 25, 2016)

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].


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## Johnny (Aug 25, 2016)

Pappy - that *"steam in place"* technique should be made a _STICKY_ !!!
This subject comes up every now and again.......... great find.


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## Pappy (Aug 25, 2016)

Johnny, Thanks! That was truly an WHOA moment when I found that. I couldn't imagine having to construct boxes to do that stuff. 
Hey.....you heading to Suwanee in Sept. ? Did you get the email about the Challenge?


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## Pappy (Aug 25, 2016)

Here are some photos of the 16' AT a good friend of mine purchased. 





















His is original and kept in pretty good shape. Inspiration for you on a great boat!


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## Burrman (Aug 25, 2016)

Oh my goodness, what a beautiful boat, I can only hope mine comes out half as nice.


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## JMichael (Aug 26, 2016)

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 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.


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## enginerd (Aug 26, 2016)

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.


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## Pappy (Aug 26, 2016)

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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## Johnny (Aug 27, 2016)

Like Pappy described - I have never seen them for sale.
but - with a little metalsmithing skills and a ball peen hammer,
I see how they would be easy to make. ( _*if*_ you wanted to go in that direction ).














.


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## JMichael (Aug 28, 2016)

enginerd said:


> I don't know about removing a bilge plug on plane to pull water out; that seems like a risky proposition.


I don't remember who actually showed me that trick, but all my friends and I use it quite often. It does make you worry a bit the first time or two that you do it but you soon realize that you can slow down pretty slow before the water actually stops flowing out and starts flowing in. But as long as you keep the plug in one hand and don't have a lot of crap in the way of putting the plug back in, it's really hard to screw up the process. And if you don't have a bilge pump, or want to get every last bit of water out, it's pretty slick. I'll actually slow down enough that my bow rises pretty good so every last bit of water runs to the back of the boat to get sucked out.


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## uncndl1 (Aug 28, 2016)

I had an old 50's Cadillac aluminum boat back on the Columbia River in Tri-Cities WA, and tried that out once.
I had trouble getting the plug back in properly and took on quite a bit of water. Don't recommend trying it out too far from shore. I'll never forget that day

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk


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## Johnny (Aug 28, 2016)

I think the technique of draining the water while underway
was meant for when two people are on board . . . . not alone.
Personally, I would never try it (alone) . . . my boats are remote steer
meaning that I would have to get up and go to the stern with
nobody driving the boat - - - could turn out bad.
I can see how it may be cumbersome for the tiller steer if the boater
does not have experience doing it.


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## JMichael (Aug 28, 2016)

Yea, no way I'd ever try it with remote steer, but with tiller, I do it all the time and have never had a problem with it. When I'm at the lake where I've got plenty of room, I'll even do wide right hand turns so the water runs to the side the plug is on, but in the rivers, it's straight only. But, to each his own.


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## Anton (Nov 7, 2021)

Hi All,
New here but have been lucking for a bit on/off. Finally landed a 13' 8" AT (believe she is a 55 or 56 and will go perfect with my restored 1955 5.5hp Evinrude) and trying to apply a bit of love to get her worthy for the water in a hurry to use in a bit of work I need to do. Well underway on replacing the bench wood which was gone for the most part. Will deal with foam and critter issues later but my big short term issue is exactly what burrman's 3rd pic of his boat with the 4 offset hole drain is... Mine was about gone. Can't find a replacement of course and the easy 3 hole replacement is actually too small leaving previous rivet holes half exposed so that is not an option because even if i rivet those holes, the new drain won't seal properly... 

So at this point I BELIEVE my best option is to just patch the existing hole and put a new drain in the transom nice and low... or? I know everyone loves pics so... nite pic of the boat and the hole until i can take decent ones!

@I hope this thread isn't dead-dead... I think i can put in a new plug in the transom (gotta think about height and sealer etc. but should manage.) but patching that old hole... not sure. 1/8 aluminum square plate with sealant and... ? rivets?


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## JLeephoto (Feb 4, 2022)

Anton said:


> @I hope this thread isn't dead-dead... I think i can put in a new plug in the transom (gotta think about height and sealer etc. but should manage.) but patching that old hole... not sure. 1/8 aluminum square plate with sealant and... ? rivets?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Wondering how you fixed this? I've got a similar hole I'm thinking of J-B Weld Steel Stick epoxy putty from both sides then rivet some thin sheet aluminum over top? Did you find a good solution for filling larger than rivet holes?


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## Anton (Feb 4, 2022)

I have not completed it yet... snow lol. I did however get a small bit of thicker aluminum plate. I plan to use a combination of sealant AND use the original rivet holes with my "patch" on the outside. I have spoken with a few folks who has success with this method.


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## JLeephoto (Feb 4, 2022)

JMichael said:


> enginerd said:
> 
> 
> > I don't know about removing a bilge plug on plane to pull water out; that seems like a risky proposition.
> ...



Have a story about that. When I was growing up we actually did this frequently with our old leaky Jon boat. My dad would have me take the tiller while he pulled the plug. 
One day he dropped and couldn’t locate it. I was probably 12 years old and freaking out a little asking what to do?[emoji51] He calmly directed me to run us up on a sand bar as far as I could, then jumped out and pulled us onto dry land. Crises averted. 
I thought my dad was Superman that day. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## Ronbedard57 (Feb 12, 2022)

Hi,
You might find that the gunnels bend enough for your purposes without steaming. Try clamping them in place "dry" first. If needed, the "foodsaver" bags from Walmart are perfect for this application. Cut a piece long enough for the wood, and tie one end in a knot. Try boiling water first, and you'll probably find that steam isn't necessary.
The grain orientation when you saw the wood will also affect the flexibility. Try to get the grain vertical. Parallel to the sides of the boat.
I've restored canoes and other small wooden boats, and have found that milling for grain direction is half the battle.
Good luck.
Ron


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