1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

[brendan.ryan]

I recently got a good deal on an old 14 foot Arkansas Traveler. I was looking for an aluminum boat, but I really liked the shape of this hull and thought it would make a good fishing boat. I am a graduate of The Landing School in Maine, and after studying both composite boatbuilding and design, I felt pretty comfortable with taking on this project.

My goal is to create a wide open fishing boat. I will only be taking this out on my own or with my girlfriend and dog, so I will not need much seating. I plan to have the outboard tiller controlled, with the throttle and shifter on the right side near the back of the boat. One bench seat out back and maybe a swivel chair up front. I want the boat to be very simple and clean though.

Here are some photos of the beginning, after I stripped all of the hardware and cut back the deck, and some from where I am at now, about to glass in the floor.




Ive coated the underside of the floor boards with resin and csm, and am planning on glassing over the entire floor. Once that cures, I will cut away where my hatches will go so I can get to the supports to tab in the floor from the underside.

So far, one of my main decisions I've had a hard time making is how I want to finish the floor, whether carpet, gel-coat, paint, or deck paneling...

Any thoughts? Im on a pretty tight budget...

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

Tabbing the decking in from the bottom side??? No need for that, tab it in from the topside and you'll be able to do a better quality job and it'll be a lot quicker too.

Have you given any thought to floatation foam?

Take a look at what sleeper6 did to a very similar boat:
http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...ject-log-runabout-fishing-machine-507523.html

Btw, I'd like to see your stringer/bulkhead design before you laid the decking. Do you have any pics of that?

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

HI Brendan. Great to have another AT owner here in the forums. There are a few of us hiding around here. I have an AT tinny of similar vintage that I converted to a FL, flats-style tiller skiff. While she's nothing to look at, she's solid as a rock, hops right up on plane and handles great for an old girl. My old '66 20hp Johnson pushes her along at about +/- 20mph with a light load. Looks like you have an E-rude of about the same age. Unfortunately, I'm too dumb to do glass work, so I stick to tinnies, but I can't wait to see how she turns out. Here are some links that may be of use.

Arkansas traveler - Classic Boat Library
Arkansas traveler - Classic Boat Library
Reviving a Vintage Big Twin - Part 1

 

[brendan.ryan]

Re: 1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

Tabbing the decking in from the bottom side??? No need for that, tab it in from the topside and you'll be able to do a better quality job and it'll be a lot quicker too.

Have you given any thought to floatation foam?

Take a look at what sleeper6 did to a very similar boat:
http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...ject-log-runabout-fishing-machine-507523.html

Btw, I'd like to see your stringer/bulkhead design before you laid the decking. Do you have any pics of that?

I intend to do this in the center of the floor and forward of the forward seat, where I will put hatches. I want it to look more finished in the places that might be seen.

I have put foam into the two old seat areas. I took out all of the rotted plywood and found that the fiberglass itself was doing all of the work. It feels stiff, and with the additional plywood structure above the stringers, it feels fine to walk on, and will feel even more solid after glass.

I unfortunately dont have a photo right now, Ill probably take one soon, before I glass it down. For now I attached a model I made real quickly to show whats going on down there. The hull shapes off, but you'll get the idea. The brown represents 3/4" ply and the white represents glass of varying thickness. The transom is obviously not 3/4" ply..

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

To give your boat the more "finished apperance" where the decking tabs to the hull on the topside, use a fairing compound to feather out and fill the cloth/mat grain. Most people don't bother with this and to me it makes the job look kinda rough and unfinished especially when gel coat or another paint on product like Durabak is used. I like your preplanning attention to detail on this subject.

Can't say that I'm too crazy about your below deck structure design though, that's more of a rib design than a stringer design... and stringers are the backbone of fiberglass boats.

Your stringers should be continous from fore to aft and support your deck. The ribs you have drawn should be cut to fit between the stringers and tabbed to the stringers. Any storage hatches should be walled off below deck with stringers/false stringers and bulkheads. Any open voids that aren't hatch space below deck should be filled with 2 part expanding urethane foam for hull deck support and floatation.

Not trying to bad mouth your boat or design in any way, just trying to help.

 

[Fcdave]

Re: 1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

Brendan....I am doing something similar to a 1964 AT.....it has been a total gut job of transomn, stringer and floor so far....I now have most of that replaced....ready to do the floor this coming week....I'm trying to get her completed by oct 15.... Before it gets too cold around here!

Good luck with your build....

 

[brendan.ryan]

Re: 1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

jigngrub, thanks for the advice. I know that the stringers should go the full length, I havent modified them at all from their original design. I think that I can get by the way they are now, but the more I think about what you're saying, the more I agree.

From a use and possible future resale standpoint, constructing a new structure makes the most sense...

What do you think layout wise? any suggestions?

kfa4304, I really like your boat. close to what I want in the end. My motor is a 60 something Evinrude 40. Should get her going pretty well if I ever get it running... what have you found with the change of stability of your boat, especially with the casting platform?

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

That old 40hp will push her along nicely. If you look on the transom clamp, you should be able to see a small riveted tag with the serial and model numbers which will help us pin down the exact year. You can get any routine parts for it right here at iboats. Those old Big Twins have lots of low end toque in a surprisingly light, albeit bulky, package. As for M=my boat she is actually super stable no matter where I stand. The casting deck is fine too. The biggest problem with the deck is that it gets slick when wet, so be sure to use some sore of anti-slip. Other that that it works great. It's made from 3/4", non-PT, exterior grade plywood with aluminum angle braces around the perimeter and an additional, vertical 2" x 4" support in the middle of the deck. There's also another smaller deck below it forming a forward bulkhead with lots of storage. I keep all my life jackets, anchor, etc... up there and still have tons of space leftover. I also put flotation foam beneath the smaller, lower deck for good measure as well. Overall, it's rock solid with zero flex. I think it also helps to add a bit of weight forward which keeps the nose down too, especially when I'm out alone. I have zero porpoising or handling issues either. I can turn at WOT with no slip and she handles a 1'-2' chop with ease. I usually stand amidship, just behind the front bench, and use my homemade grab bar and tiller extender and/or sit on my cooler seat for long trips. With my current layout I can really only carry two people comfortably, which is about all my 20hp can handle, but your 40hp should be able to carry a larger load with ease. Here are some pics of similar conversions to yours as well as a vid I made on the water at my local beach. Again, she's nothing pretty, but lots of fun. Pretty soon we'll have a nice little AT armada assembled. We might even get our own thread here in the forums


Wakulla Beach, FL movie.wmv - YouTube

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

After rereading your first post and giving your project more consideration, there's a few more issues I see that need to be addressed.

1. Is your splashwell at the transom, it will need to be cut back for easier access and operation of the tiller handle.

2. Seating for 2 people, you cannot operate a boat at speed with seating that is higher than the gunwales of the boat. This is true fr the operator and passenger(s).

The height of your deck as you have it now only allow a very short pedestal seat that probably isn't going to be very comfortable to sit in for an extended period of time.

3. Another issue with your below deck framing is the way you have the plywood cut for the deck. You have the grain of the plywood runningside to side (port to starboard) and your design for the deck framing with the ribs running port to starboard too will make your decking sag between the ribs (even 3/4" decking will sag). The grain of the plywood has to be at a right angle with the framing to prevent sagging.

If you build your boat as you have it designed now your deck will be like a washboard in just a short time. This is another real good reason to run your stringers for to aft and have them support your deck.

I doctored up one of your pics in paint (which I'm not very good at) to show my suggestions:


1. The red line at the splashwell shows the cut I think you should make.

2. For comfortable seating I suggest you drop your decking down between the 2 existing benches, this will give you and your passenger the needed leg room and keep you seat height in compliance. the orange circles are swivel seat bases and the black area is the lower deck.

I arranged the seating for weight distribution and ease of operation.

I didn't draw your bow deck in for simplicity but it needs to be in there and you may even want to consider raising it up flush with the gunwales.

I would still like to see pics of the inside of your boat without the decking as it is now.

 

[brendan.ryan]

Re: 1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

Again, thank you for the advice. I was wondering about the seating not working. I am going to cut out where you suggested, and I think I am going to replace the stringers so they support the floor, rather than what I have now. This isnt really what I planned on, but I dont want to end up with anything unsafe.

Ive made a couple canoes, do you think that it would be structurally sound if I replaced the molded cap with ash rails? I would have to figure something else out for the casting deck, making it flush and actually serve as a brace for the rails.

Thoughts?

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

Your cap/gunwales are actually part of your boats structural designand they support the sidewalls of the boat. Without them your sidewalls will be floppy and the overall strength of your boat will be weakened.

I know you don't intend or have the finances to make your boat as snazzy as Sleeper6's boat, but he does some really good structural work to his boat that you should seriously consider incorporating into your boat. The fabrication of his gunwales is excellent and you should give it a look starting at post #55:
http://forums.iboats.com/boat-resto...og-runabout-fishing-machine-507523-3.html#top

If you want to use the Ash wood on your gunwales I think it would look really nice to cap them with Ash after they've been fabricated properly.

 

[brendan.ryan]

Re: 1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

I realize that the gunwales are a part of the structure. Id like to build a functional, minimal fishing boat, not quite like Sleeper6's. His boat is awesome, and actually inspired me to get mine in the first place. But I'm not trying to make a 50 year old boat last for another 50. I bought the boat because it was alot cheaper than buying a new one, and I just want a useable fishing boat.

I want the boat to be as solid and safe as it needs to be. But keep in mind, I will only be taking her out in small ponds and lakes in Maine so she wont have that rough of a ride.

I guess Im just going to have to take the cap/gunwales off and make a judgement call, I can always put them back if it wont work the way I am thinking.



Ill let you know

 

[brendan.ryan]

Re: 1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

I just went ahead and made the cut you suggested, eliminating what was left of the splashwell. The boat has become flimsy with the bracing of the gunwales near the back of the boat gone. I think ash gunwales will do just as well now, especially with some elbows back there. I am thinking of a wider, 2 inch piece running along the inside with a 1 inch rail running along the outside secured together with both fasteners and resin.

 

[brendan.ryan]

Re: 1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

what do people think about this? I tried to make the model a little closer to the boats shape this time...



For construction I'm thinking plywood stringers, 2x4 cross beams, and 1x6 decking. thoughts?

 

[jigngrub]

Re: 1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

I realize that the gunwales are a part of the structure. Id like to build a functional, minimal fishing boat, not quite like Sleeper6's. His boat is awesome, and actually inspired me to get mine in the first place. But I'm not trying to make a 50 year old boat last for another 50. I bought the boat because it was alot cheaper than buying a new one, and I just want a useable fishing boat.

I want the boat to be as solid and safe as it needs to be. But keep in mind, I will only be taking her out in small ponds and lakes in Maine so she wont have that rough of a ride.

I guess Im just going to have to take the cap/gunwales off and make a judgement call, I can always put them back if it wont work the way I am thinking.



Ill let you know

Your first and biggest mistake when buying this boat was thinking it would be cheaper than the rest because it had the lowest purchase price, big mistake! Your boat was cheap because it is pretty much worthless without being fixed properly which will take a considerable sum of money.

Fiberglass boats are the most expensive boats to repair/remodel/restore and take the most time and labor as well. Polyester fiberglass resin and cloth are very expensive, and you'll need a considerable amount of it to make your boat structurally sound and seaworthy... then there's the cost of lumber, tools, adhesives and other supplies as well.

Even on a small boat with a simple design like yours you're still looking at $750 minimum just to make your boat sound and seaworthy.

what do people think about this? I tried to make the model a little closer to the boats shape this time...

View attachment 210549View attachment 210550View attachment 210551

For construction I'm thinking plywood stringers, 2x4 cross beams, and 1x6 decking. thoughts?

I'm sorry, but this won't work. That design will still leave your boat weak and flimsy.

The decking on a fiberglass boat has to be solid, it also has to be tabbed to the hull and glassed over for strength. The deck in a fiberglass boat is a diaphragm that holds the whole boat together.

There aren't many, if any shortcuts you can take when rebuilding a fiberglass boat. The basic design of stringers being bonded and tabbed to the hull with solid decking being attached/bonded to the stringers and tabbed to the hull is one that you really can't get around... if you could there would be lots of boats made like that.

Since you plan to power your small 14' boat with a 40 hp motor it will need to be in top notch structural shape. You also need to beef up and brace your transom since you won't have the support of the cap and splashwell.

The fiberglass hull on a f'glass is weak and flimsy by itself and f'glass boats should be called wood reinforced fiberglass construction.

 

[brendan.ryan]

Re: 1960 Arkansas Traveler to fishing boat

I know all you've said is true, especially boats built during this time period, with just csm and low weight cloth.

With the crossbeams tabbed at each end, the hull should get a lot of its rigidity back. I've also cut an additional piece of 3/4" ply to add to the transom with some elbows to tab to the rear of the hull in the corners to support the motor.

I will find a solution to stiffen up the gunwales.. possibly vacuum some sort of core to save weight and resin, I have a home build compressor vac and some extra bag from a pair of skis I made a while ago. Come to think of it, I have about 25 feet of some triax glass with carbon toes stitched in, this might be a good place to use that.

I really like this design, it will serve the purpose im going for. I'm going to go with it and make a way for it to succeed.