14' AT? Richline? Whatever. I'm getting there! Thanks guys

[EYDavis]

Hi There,

Welcome to the forum!

I was looking at your boat and it looks just like mine. I don't think it's an arkansas traveler to be honest. It looks like they might have thrown that badge on their with roofing nails. Take a look at my build and compare.?

You're spot on, man. I had actually looked over your build and was thinking the same thing. Not sure what to do with the thing registration-wise. But I know I want your floor and setup. How's the stability on that front pedestal? Where'd you get your aluminum?

I've got a zillion questions, of course. The trailer is done and has been good for me, experience-wise. First rivets were the home-made Georgia VIN so I can get a plate for it. I'm liking the idea of riveting a front deck like yours, but first am trying to figure out how aggressive I need to be with checking for leaks, etc. any issues with rivets or seams for you? I filled it with water past the rivet line and found no issues. And I know I want to paint this thing, probably in and out.

Thanks for reaching out. I'm not sure where I'll be taking this thing. I've got a bill of sale from a non-registrant on a roofing-nailed serial. If this thing -uh- ends up with nothing on it, will the DNR let me register it?

 

[Vermonster]

The DNR will definitely have a record for that sticker on the back of the transom. That's actually the HIN number. There is likely another sticker underneath the bow cap (that's where they put my backup). They probably have it registered as an Arkansas Traveller. If you know what county it was listed in you can look up the number here:

https://jc.activeoutdoorsolutions.com/gdnr_vrs/downloads/boatData.do

If you don't have the county info - you can download the whole database, but you'll need MS Access to open it.

I would add that HIN to the bill of sale the guy gave you. Whatever the DNR has it listed as I would leave it until you get it registered in your name. After that you can have them update it if you want, but I wouldn't worry about it. Like I said they still have mine listed as a "sportsman."

Stability on the front deck is fine while fishing. The chair is perfect, and I stand on the front deck all the time. I got my aluminum angle and channel at Home Depot. I would use it again even though it's more expensive than wood.

I've had ZERO leaks in my boat. No trouble with the seams or anything. The only time I've had water in it is due to the "screw-in" plug not being tight. It's original and is a pain to thread. I've got a replacement rubber lever type plug, but haven't swapped to it yet.

 

[EYDavis]

The DNR will definitely have a record for that sticker on the back of the transom. That's actually the HIN number. There is likely another sticker underneath the bow cap (that's where they put my backup). They probably have it registered as an Arkansas Traveller. If you know what county it was listed in you can look up the number here:

https://jc.activeoutdoorsolutions.com/gdnr_vrs/downloads/boatData.do

If you don't have the county info - you can download the whole database, but you'll need MS Access to open it.

I would add that HIN to the bill of sale the guy gave you. Whatever the DNR has it listed as I would leave it until you get it registered in your name. After that you can have them update it if you want, but I wouldn't worry about it. Like I said they still have mine listed as a "sportsman."

Stability on the front deck is fine while fishing. The chair is perfect, and I stand on the front deck all the time. I got my aluminum angle and channel at Home Depot. I would use it again even though it's more expensive than wood.

I've had ZERO leaks in my boat. No trouble with the seams or anything. The only time I've had water in it is due to the "screw-in" plug not being tight. It's original and is a pain to thread. I've got a replacement rubber lever type plug, but haven't swapped to it yet.

PM'd you before I saw this...HIN is on the bill of sale, FWIW.
Good to hear re: stability on front deck. I'm thinking I'll mimic your setup, probably add some pool noodles for flotation, floor the whole thing. Your rod holders are just what I was thinking, too. Safe for your little one, you think? Mine's 4.

Also good to hear re: lack of leaks. Huge stress off my mind. I'm wondering what that greenish coating you have inside to double rivet seam line. Also glad to hear this thing is ca1972 and not 1955.

I don't know if my plug hole is original or not, but it's got that weird "self-baling" tarred in on the bottom. Advance auto parts (if you can find one near a lake) has a plug (for half price) that's the brass "T" screw-tight rubber that fits much better than any lever I could find. My local place is closing them out, and they fit both my boats, so I went ahead and got a few extra at half price.

Hey thanks for your help. Great job with the boat. Did you have rivet experience before this? I've placed two rivets ever with a $12 kit from the autoparts place---like I said, for my homemade trailer VIN. Not excited about drilling out rivets to deal with the transom, either but I guess you gotta do.... I can't decide what to do about the corner dents, at the back corners. I hate to find a welder and get into that cost. But I wonder about that ?marine tex bondo like stuff, too. Also considered basically covering the corners... revamping the transom with a new aluminum plate screwed down vermonster style under water line with some kind of filler. (gutsy, I know). I just want the thing to look decent, be safe. I hate to learn

Anyway, I'm probably $500 in right now. Bought two used bass seats for $30 off craigslist, Rustoleum hammer finish (silver-brush on--highly recommend) for the trailer, harbor freight over and over for wire wheels, etc. New wheels for trailer safety. New lights/wires/winch for trailer, lowe's outdoor carpet for bunks with a half can of scotchguard apiece (still cheaper and thicker than bass pro/academy bunk carpet). $20 wheeled jack, new tongue, etc. Been fun, though.

My plan is to use this for a few seasons, then be able to upgrade or flip with confidence. I know I won't get out of it what I'm putting into it, but I'm hoping I won't be far off considering the boating time. I'm going to use that wetlander stuff on, well, maybe the whole thing outside. Might end up being a duckboat, too.

I've got a gheenoe to get me by for a while on private ponds. Lots of questions, sorry to bombard you. Clearly, I'm excited about having a template tried-and-true.

I've gotta figure out what to do motor-wise. I'm not much of a gear head, but I can change my oil and figure out stuff like this. Been reading up on old 9.9 or 15 OMC's and I'm wondering if I can handle the bulk of that service myself. etc. etc.

Sorry about all the questions. Thanks for your help, man. I owe you some bait or something.

 

[Vermonster]

I had no experience with aluminum or rivets before this. It's pretty easy though. The hardest part was drilling out the very first one because I knew I was willingly putting a hole in my boat.

Installing my fishfinder was the same way I couldn't believe I was putting holes in my boat that didn't leak.

This year will be the first time I have the little one out in the boat. He'll turn 3 in May. I'll likely only take him to Acworth (electric only) for a couple trips and see how he does.

 

[EYDavis]

I had no experience with aluminum or rivets before this. It's pretty easy though. The hardest part was drilling out the very first one because I knew I was willingly putting a hole in my boat.

Installing my fishfinder was the same way I couldn't believe I was putting holes in my boat that didn't leak.

This year will be the first time I have the little one out in the boat. He'll turn 3 in May. I'll likely only take him to Acworth (electric only) for a couple trips and see how he does.

Gonna be tough to drill out that first rivet. I'll bet he'll have a blast. Mine's 4 and gets a little antsy after a bit if they're not biting...but who doesn't?

Thanks again for reaching out. I'm feeling a lot better about the whole project after talking to you. My next big thing is transom and stern hull assessment...got some dents and bends I want to address, but may just have to let go.

 

[Tusker]

Arkansas Traveler, did in fact place their badges on the transom with those short roofing nails. My boat had the motor and weight limit badge on it with the exact nails you have pictured. If you decide that it's not a AT I would love to get that badge from you as mine is missing. If you are in Ga. DNR doesn't care about the make of the boat if it's pre-1972. They will just simply put Jon Boat. I know from the badges on mine that it is a 1962 model but was listed as 1970. I will attach the actual HIN document that I had to get with mine. Notice the bold lettering that just says Jon boat. I have the hull and HIN numbers covered in the pic.

 

[EYDavis]

Arkansas Traveler, did in fact place their badges on the transom with those short roofing nails. My boat had the motor and weight limit badge on it with the exact nails you have pictured. If you decide that it's not a AT I would love to get that badge from you as mine is missing. If you are in Ga. DNR doesn't care about the make of the boat if it's pre-1972. They will just simply put Jon Boat. I know from the badges on mine that it is a 1962 model but was listed as 1970. I will attach the actual HIN document that I had to get with mine. Notice the bold lettering that just says Jon boat. I have the hull and HIN numbers covered in the pic.

Sure I'll shoot you that badge. Just PM me your mailing address. The DNR has it listed as a "sportsman" (1984?) which makes me think somebody repurposed a transom or something.

 

[EYDavis]

Finally some photos

So I got out the drill and drilled out some rivets today...got rid of some old styrofoam, as well as the tops of the benches. Vermonster might be my hero as far as plans for the front casting deck/seat, but it looks like I'm in for a full transom job as well. I know I need to get at it with the sander/wire brush. Just for giggles, I filled it up today to the rivet line and my only leaks were at the back (must've been a new dent when moving the boat over a curb by hand), and around the plug. I marine JB welded those, so I think I'm good there. Could get interesting with this transom, though. it's had it. I'll find some plywood and spar the heck out of it, double stack, and trace. I may take the leftover bench aluminum and sandwich with it.

I should have gotten some pictures, but this was definitely treated plywood somebody used to make this transom. About half of the aluminum screws were eaten away as if with white rust....some broke on removal.

I'm worried about my back end, though. Check out the dent on my fingers. I hate to cop out and just try to "body fill" with epoxy the obvious dents, but I may just roll on. I don't know. Open to input. This thing doesn't have to be perfect, but it oughta be presentable, right?

DNR not a big deal by the way. I've just gotta make a hull inspection and sign an affidavit with bill of sale in hand.

 

[Vermonster]

I'm betting that transom is original (except the badge). I see hints of blue paint on it I think which is what I had on mine. I kept my original and threw it in the basement (in case I need to ever replace it again - I have the perfect template).

Mine is still listed on the GA DNR as a 14' Sportsman. That's likely because the only thing richline put on the badge was "Sportsman" and the serial number - which didn't follow the HIN guidelines of today.

Take a look:
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/download/file.php?id=38956&mode=view/IMG_1066.JPG

 

[kfa4303]

It's good to see another A/T owner here. I have a 1962 Tarpon. Solid old boats, just be patient and take your modes/repairs one step at a time. I started with function first, getting it ready for the water. Then you can add other modes and won't miss any fishing time.

Hi Tusker. I have a 59-60ish AT myself. I think it started life as a DUT-14 skiboat/runabout with a fiberglass bow, windshield, steering, etc..., but I've since converted it to a sort of tiller drive, flats skiff. Do you happen to have any pics of your Tarpon model? I believe its model number was the UT-14 and was virtually identical to mine, without the fiberglass cap and with a little less free board. Here's a link to a pic of each of our models, side by side (I think).

https://www.fiberglassics.com/library/File:Arktravb61005.jpg

 

[EYDavis]

So I've made some progress. Outside paint done and transom replaced. Used oak.

Gotta get that aluminum to fit over the new transom. I'll probably cover the gunwales in that camo duct tape.

Paint is hammer-finish brush on rust oleum mixed with xylene and acetone, penetrol. I put down some rust oleum leak seal and truck bed liner, then brushed on while still tacky. A few coats. Still scheming for inside.

 

[amateurhour]

Hey I'm getting ready to paint my Richline myself and I was curious. So you're doing truck bed liner on the outside?

Can you detail your process a little bit? I was going to do liner on the inside and then paint over it and it looks like that worked out pretty well on yours for the outside so I might do that too.

Thanks!

 

[EYDavis]

Hey I'm getting ready to paint my Richline myself and I was curious. So you're doing truck bed liner on the outside?

Can you detail your process a little bit? I was going to do liner on the inside and then paint over it and it looks like that worked out pretty well on yours for the outside so I might do that too.

Thanks!

Yeah, so I don't know if mine qualifies as a "process"....but I got the brush-on cans of rustoleum and ended up with silver, black. Ended up mixing up 2 separate cans with additional cans of rustoleum satin white and forest green. Those are the two colors.

1. Washed washed washed, degreased, rinsed, 150 gritted, rinsed, rinsed. (Had big plans to wire wheel the whole thing, but with the dents, etc, couldn't really justify the time)
2. Primed with self-etching. Even though I hadn't stripped the whole thing.
3. RUstoleum leak seal (the gutter stuff) over all rivet seams and bottom rivets on outside, then while still tacky, Rustoleum truck bed liner over that. (bedliner/leakseal also on the front v...bedliner about 2 feet back on the section that might get 'beached').
4. While that was a little tacky, brushed on the color...had to wait so it wouldn't smear. Multiple thin coats, each new one applied while tacky. I forgot the mix, but Xylene, Mineral Spirits and Penetrol probably made up 1/3 or so of the can. One gallon of the light green covered what you see plus the bottom. Pretty thick when all was said and done.
5. We had some sunny warm days, so I let it set for a long time. I put a ceramic heater underneath it to keep it warm at night...especially on the front end where everything was so thick.

Pretty happy with the result, I've got some drip marks but nothing too bad. It's dented up anyway. So the truck bedliner is on the outside of the hull, but only over the light green semi-v front at risk for beaching, as well as the rivet seams. My idea was that the penetrol/thinners would merge in a little with the bedliner.
THe dark green areas are more forest green rustoleum brush cans with some black hammered finish mixed in...maybe a little silver, I forgot. Same ratio with thinners. Between the thinners/penetrol was very forgiving and turned out ok.

I've just got to figure out the inside layout. I, in the meantime, on the inside, used the leakseal on every exposed rivet and seam, with some bedliner as above, and a little rustoleum 'undercoating' inside the rear seat, thinking it may help with sound. I may end up adding some decking, so am still working through that. I gotta tell ya, by the time I spent $12 here and there on paints, thinners, brushes, I may have considered having the entire outside rhino-lined...wouldn't have been that much more and I could have spent the time fishing.

Disclaimer: I am not a painter. I bought a $250 boat/trailer on a whim. And I got impatient. I would not present this as ideal...but for this boat that had NO leaks on leak testing, feel pretty good about my proactive efforts.

 

[amateurhour]

Ha, we're in the same boat (no pun intended)

I gave a $200 gift card for my boat motor trailer combo (the amatuerhour thread has pics) and I have taken the wire wheel to the entire interior so far. I was going to do the entire interior in leakseal but now my plan was to do 2-3 coats of the self etching primer (rustoleum) and then 2 heavy coats of the rustoleum truck bed liner and then paint over that so I won't cook inside the boat with a solid black interior.

I may add in the leaskseal though for the rivets and seams for the hell of it.

Did you have as much fun getting your transom out as I did? : ) That thing was secured in like 22 places.

I've only put $40 of my own money into mine so far so I'm right at the point where I'm ready to figure out paint. I've got two rattle cans of the primer which will handle the interior and I was thinking if I spent $20 on two cans of leakseal and $40 for two quarts of truck bed liner I could at least do the liner up to the midway rivet line if not the whole interior.

Definitely food for thought in your thread though.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[EYDavis]

Ha, we're in the same boat (no pun intended)

I gave a $200 gift card for my boat motor trailer combo (the amatuerhour thread has pics) and I have taken the wire wheel to the entire interior so far. I was going to do the entire interior in leakseal but now my plan was to do 2-3 coats of the self etching primer (rustoleum) and then 2 heavy coats of the rustoleum truck bed liner and then paint over that so I won't cook inside the boat with a solid black interior.

I may add in the leaskseal though for the rivets and seams for the hell of it.

Did you have as much fun getting your transom out as I did? : ) That thing was secured in like 22 places.

I've only put $40 of my own money into mine so far so I'm right at the point where I'm ready to figure out paint. I've got two rattle cans of the primer which will handle the interior and I was thinking if I spent $20 on two cans of leakseal and $40 for two quarts of truck bed liner I could at least do the liner up to the midway rivet line if not the whole interior.

Definitely food for thought in your thread though.

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah, I'd never messed with rivets before, but drilling out rivets (among other things) to get the transom out made me confident to try some riveting inside for decking. I'm pretty impressed with the rustoleum brush-on. There's a hammer-finish that I used a little more of in the dark green area outside. I feel like the penetrol and thinners really stretched the rustoleum quarts without getting too thin. Reading the sides of the rustoleum truck-liner and leak-seal products, they do claim to be paintable. So my thoughts were to paint while tacky, and hope the penetrol helped with the bonding. I'm with you re: the inside right now. Trying to decide how dark is acceptable. One thing to remember is that in the water, the sunny black will still be water-cooled. I'm probably going to go sand-colored brush-on Rustoleum if I can find it, carpet other places. Can't remember if I listed it, but I also did the same thing with leakseal/liner on the inside seams as well. Rainy this weekend. Might get a good bit done. Will send photos of inside if so.

 

[EYDavis]

Oh boy-- came into some 1/4" diamond plate aluminum.

Anybody want to help me figure out how best to cut/bend it? I keep hearing jig for curves and backwards carbide tip on a rotary saw.

Thinking aluminum angle/floor/rivets etc....but I may have overdone it. That said,I'd love to learn to work with the stuff.

 

[TOY BOAT]

I am not sure if you guys are discussing if that is a AT or not, or which AT model or year it is. It is a AT. That much is certain. The bow handle, and rivet pattern up the side are the giveaways there. As for model and year, I would say mid to late 50s.

I don't think that is the original transom either. The transoms were riveted in, that one is bolted in. My 65 had the original transom in good shape, and it was riveted

I like the Electrolysis. I took a 55 gallon barrel, and made my tank. It worked awesome.

Nice looking boat.

 

[EYDavis]

So how's this for random? Took a slightly torn hang up bag and recovered a Craigslist seat with it. The kid of stuff you come up with when the weather's bad...

 

[BrazosDon]

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=18765&p=299290&hilit=carports#p299290
This might help you with cutting your metal.

 

[EYDavis]

BrazosDon » 25 May 2013, 18:35[/url]"]https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=18765&p=299290&hilit=carports#p299290
This might help you with cutting your metal.

WAX! Awesome. Thanks for the tip. Maybe if I can make straight cuts I won't have to cover it all with carpet....see photo