Tractors & Boats

May 14, 2009 1:52 PM

Tractors and Boats - Need help figuring out what kind of tractor my dad had, and how to fix a boat

1. My dad had a yellow lawn tractor that was originally my grandfather's. It was probably from the 70's but may have been as old as the 40's or 50's. It was made of Yellow steel, had a grey/metallic grill on the front, vinyl/leather seat, with a mower attachment + plow. Can't find a picture right now. It may have had a logo on the front saying AF or AG. Any ideas what kind this was?

2. My dad also has a 14 foot Dory row/sailboat. Last summer I lost the centerboard to the bottom of a deep lake when I flipped the boat by mistake. The boat was built at Robin Hood marina in Maine. I called and they didn't have replacements, and couldn't make more because they lost the molds (the original was made out of fiberglass). I photocopied some plans from 'The Dory Book,' and have its approximate dimensions... So... Is this an easy project? Could I make one from wood? Someone suggested divers, but I couldn't tell them where to look better than a general area. Took a quick look at Sunfish centerboards, but couldn't be sure it would fit. Any ideas?

posted by rselover to grab bag (5 comments total)

The tractor was an Allis Chalmers.
Yes, a centerboard for a dory is an easy project to make from wood.
posted by Floydd at 2:08 PM on May 14

I've made a centreboard for a dinghy before. Used marine grade plywood. Getting the faring symmetrical and deep is the trick if performance is an issue, otherwise the part itself is pretty simple to make. Make sure you fill any voids in the laminate and use the correct paint.
posted by Rumple at 2:13 PM on May 14

I'd call this guy on the phone:
http://www.instantboats.com/

And tell him what you are trying to do, ask him which of his books lays out how to make a daggerboard. He's kind of the master of simple boatbuilding and his books are great American technical writing. They may have them at your local public library...they did when I was a boat obsessed kid growing up.

Depending on how much you have in tools, it might be better to have a local boatyard do this for you. Depends on how invested you want to get into it. I'm guessing they'd make you a new one for $200 or less. Depends on the yard.
posted by sully75 at 2:53 PM on May 14

If you had a Sunfish daggerboard you could give it a try. My guess is it will be a bit short. Don't jam it in. You could potentially shave one down a bit to get it to fit.
posted by sully75 at 2:55 PM on May 14

Here's a link to a yellow Allis Chalmers garden tractor.
posted by Floydd at 8:22 AM on May 15