14 Foot Arkansa Traveler

[oldboat]

Hello everyone ! I'm new to this site and boating in general. I just bought this boat its a Arkansas Traveler with dual cockpits.. I can't seem to find much about it on the internet and only a very few photos of any like it .. it needs work and my plans are to restore it.. but polish the entire boat instead of painting it.. any information about this boat, thoughts or comments would be great !! thank you, John update.. I added a few more photos of this boat as I picked it up and some after I stripped the motor and seats from it.. I will be running a 1956 Mercury Mark 30 E Turbo 4 on it once its done.. no comments on this boat ?? maybe I'm on the wrong site.. is this site only for fishing boats ??

 

[WV1951]

Any boat is a fishing boat.

 

[LDUBS]

I think a lot of folks on TB are doing mod's to make their boats more fishable (fishability?). IMO, your boat begs for a restoration. I think you are on the right track with your plans. Please take lots of pics and share your progress.

 

[user 23839]

Oldboat: Very cool project you have there. I've never seen anything quite like it. It will be a dandy when you get her all spiffed up.

 

[oldboat]

Thank you LDUBS and Billinthedesert I have a little 12' boat for fishing but its a neat little wooden boat with a 1927 Lockwood motor. this Arkansas Traveler is just going to be a little speed boat to play with.. here is a photo of my wooden boat and motor and a original ad from 1953 for what looks like my Arkansas Traveler.. and also a photo of the type of motor I will be using on it once finished.. John

 

[user 23839]

Love your wooden boat and its details, particularly how the inner gunwales merge into notches in the stern knees.
I had to look up Lockwood in Peter Hunn's "Old Outboards" book. He notes "The 1926 (model 62T) and 1927 (model 72T) twins attracted a good deal of attention, as the little 4-to-5-hp units could put a light boat on speaking terms with 20 mph." He goes on to note that Lockwood merged with Elto and Evinrude in 1929 to create the Outboard Motors Corporation!
Oldboat, if you ever take a notion to put up a Youtube of you and your boat and your Lockwood under way, please let us know.
Can't wait to see your Arkansas Traveler on the water.

 

[DaleH]

OMG what a cool little runabout!

Yes ... predominately here we are fishing focused on our tin boats, but we LOVE to see classic old tinnies like this! Man, I can only dream of finding a suitable hull like that for a restoration!

FWIW I once passed up a semi-restored Cadillac tin, complete w/ tail fins, for short money ... as at that time (and now) 99% of my boating (less my kayaking) is done where I have a mooring, but not regular launch ramp access and I just couldn’t see adding special, expen$ive anti-fouling paint to the bottom of such a restored tin classic, one to be moored in saltwater to boot ...

 

[gnappi]

I like the Yoda like text in the ad... "Never before boats like these" Arf, I wonder if they got that Yoda speech affectation from that ad

 

[oldboat]

Thanks Billinthedesert, Donor, & gnappi !! I thought the little wooden boat was very neat looking and has great patina.. I just couldn't resist buying it.. then had to find period correct motor and oars for it.. I'm thinking it is possibly from the 1930s .. yes the Lockwood is a 1927 72T model made in Pontiac, Michigan about a hour and a half from where I live.. I also have this 1930 Evinrude Lightwin 4 hp. motor.. and ended up finding these great Antique Crown brand oars for it also..

I became attracted to some of the classic twin cockpit aluminum boats I've seen on the internet and just happened to find this one for sale at a small local on-line auction site.. I researched Arkansas Traveler boats as much as I could ( which brought me to TB's and a few other sites ) most of what I could find was about the open style rowboats/fishing boats .. there seems to be sort of a following for these boats.. and what I've read so far is favorable.. and for the only 3 or 4 I've found that are similar to mine, the owners refer to them as being a rare boat.. I ended up paying $505.00 for it and plan to take my time with it and replace the wood transom and the little bit of wood on the side rails, polish the entire boat, have booth style seats in both cockpits in red tuck and roll, and red trailer to match the red Mercury Mark 30E motor..

 

[oldboat]

Update.. did a little work to my Arkansas Traveler yesterday.. tore out the old rotted wood from the seats and found the Styrofoam flotation under the wood ..I can't remember what year I read they started using the Styrofoam flotation.. the wood was loaded with ants.. the transom is not rotted like the seat wood but will also get replaced..

 

[LDUBS]

Yep, I think that ply is just about due for replacement. :LOL2:

 

[oldboat]

Yes sir !! that was some nasty stuff hiding under AstroTurf !! :shock:

 

[gnappi]

This little 1956 honey is for sale down here, and is V-E-R-Y tempting but, thankfully I have no place to put it.

I never heard of Feather Craft but I was very young when it was made.

 

[oldboat]

That's very nice !! I love the twin cockpit boats.. I've looked at a lot of them on the internet.. Feather Craft, Crestliner, Arkansas Traveler, are a few that I know of.. they all have their own cool design !! =D> =D> =D>
these are the only photo's I've found of a Arkansas Traveler that look's to be almost identical to mine.. although a very nice unmolested original that's been in their family since almost new.. any other one's I've found have varying differences...