A week of adventure! We conclude last week’s sailing passage from Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Gloucester, Massachusetts, arriving on a mooring at the end of the day. From there, Robin found a sweet intracoastal passage on the Annisquam River, which connects Gloucester Harbor to Ipswich Bay. This makes a lot of firsts, including calling for bridge openings.
Two hours later, Arabella arrived in the Merrimack River, which is a tricky place for any boat to navigate because of rocks, intense currents, and at this time, perigean spring tides.
And finally, we get to see Steve and Robin adventure up into a marsh to check on some bait traps that Steve had set a few days prior, we have a dockside event for visitors to come aboard and feel the boat floating, and Steve shows how the water flows down and into the anchor locker when it’s a particularly wet day outside.
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Acorn to Arabella is a wooden boat building project taking place in Granby, Massachusetts. Steve started as an amateur wooden boat builder building a 38′ wooden sailboat in his backyard: designer William Atkin’s Ingrid with a Stormy Petrel’s gaff rig. These videos follow the journey from tree felling, to lumber milling, to lofting, to the lead keel pour and beyond—sharing details of the woodworking, carpentry, metal smithing, tool building, and tool maintenance that classic wooden boats command. This ultimate DIY boatbuilding project will continue well past launch, when he and the crew will travel and learn to cruise aboard the handmade wooden boat that they’ve built. Just kidding about all that, this channel is about a Siberian Laika named Akiva.
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I empathise with Steve.
Being the man of action he is at the payoff end of what has been a huge journey to get to his goal, and then having to take a back seat must be tough.
I'm sure he appreciates the learning curve ahead of him though, and that building a boat from no prior experience, to sailing it with no prior experience, the latter has far less that is predictable and good decisions have a different timeline.
Luckily he seems to have built around him a good set of understanding friends.
The YouTube juggernaut of being expected to make interesting content all the time (though it has been a blessing in getting the boat fitted out) must be a curse at times when what is required of him does not match his head space at the time.
Can't wait till he is as up to speed and as confident with the boat as he is with his climbing gear.
At the helm of the fruits of his labours.
Having followed him from the beginning I know it will be a though and well considered process.
Isn't it amazing how much less windy 8t seems on camera? I have taken shots on days when it was really blowing and it looks like a nice day out. And yeah, it does always look like you're not going to clear bridges
Looks like she sails just lovely!
I love the way Arabella glides through the water. It is a testament to a great design and quality build. The water flows around the hull rather than being pushed aside
Hey Steve! I went sailing for the first time last Thursday and Friday on a tiny 6 meter sloop with two friends. It was great fun and we all learned a lot since it was all of our first times without an experienced sailor aboard. I just wanted to say that I mainly got that that experience because your boat Arabella, together with Tally Ho got me interested in sailing in the first place!
The transition from building to exploring is fantastic to see. The edits are great as always Ben.
Its funny to think that while you were building her she looked huge and then, once at sea she looks tiny!
Surely there is much more to being a Captain than what you mentioned. What about navigation out of sight of land, chart work, sail employment in various wind conditions, meteorology? You can't rely solely on electronics for such things.
Great! Now I can just sit back and enjoy the said…richard Normandy, Fra.
When in doubt, just go 5 prolonged blasts lol. Gotta take that boat captains course once you get the required hours
Loose'm like a bad dog.
Is that Steve in the new Mentos commercial?
Also, moisture is deadly to electronics. This will be an ongoing fight to keep your systems working in a high moisture environment, even without the deluge of water penetration through the chain port.
I think it's can be fixed
Looking good you guys, i think it might be of interest if you could show us how you manoeuvre your tender in and out of the water. Bless you guys.
Wish I could learn to sail from someone like KP….
You would do well if you bought a block (or two) of Gardner Bender Duct Seal (also known as “monkey shit”) from Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, etc. Wrap a fistful of it around your anchor chain to seal the chain pipe. It is reusable for a year or two. Many other uses to seal nuisance leaks, etc.
PLEASE mouse the shackle on the mizzen traveller! Even better, flip it so the pin isn't subject to any torque.
Your content is becoming dull.
There are a lot of wishes when I watch your channel. Top of the list is … to be near water like that. 2nd … for KP to teach me how to sail.
Thank You.
Now its new and feels good but in the long run and sqauls you will need some form of auto piilot.
That floppy anchor is a concern
KP is my favorite sailor.
Trained our two dogs to"go" on board with some fake grass… used it ashore than transferred both the fake grass AND the droppings on board. They very quickly got the message and performed as required ever since even though they don't love being on board.
High fives to all. KP you’re looking great and in your element. You and Satchel are such treasures to have onboard. Your sea experience and expertise in building are priceless.
"im real good with a hooker" … we heard that😅 10:50
Should add a small magnetic window wipe to the glass for rainy days. There's really tiny ones for cars available for cars, no bigger than a sewing needle magnet.
You might figure out a way to trap some of that rainwater. Some simple slim gutters to channel it to a catch. No slurping right out of the chain locker of course, but it is freshwater, of a degree. Akiva says "Yes". Here in the Pac Northwest you have to retain a Boat Drivers license, to the tune of $30+. I guess I can be a captain for $30 here. This started about 10 years ago with solid enforcement, yep Law Enforcement. Your going to get stopped checked. You basically pay the state to acknowledge to pass oncoming the correct way.
It's amazing how weathered she looks already.
KP is a real treasure. What luck to have someone so experienced to learn from.
Sure hope your timing in those marshes was not during green head season ! Fun to be along.
Thx.
I don't know if you'll see this. But you shouldn't grab those bouy poles with bare hands. The bouts are beaten by the sun and you'll fill your hands with fiberglass
North West Passage is open…. 🙂
I bet Steve will go for it next year!
You all should come down through the Chesapeake Bay into the Intracoastal Waterway and into Chesapeake, Virginia and then down into the Currituck Sound to the Outer Banks of NC. I live within a couple of miles of the Locks in Chesapeake. More than welcome to make a pit stop here if you want to!!!!
Coffee maker is definitely the most important part of any boat
KP, your willingness to take on such a knowledgeable, yet somehow unschooled, pupil is a testament to your patience, humility, and loyalty. (I see you hiding over there, Satchel… you, too). Steve, your willingness to commit to this learning process that seems so easy and familiar, yet fraught with uncertainty, is a testament to your vision and determination to see the dream through. It's all been so long coming for you, and by extension us here in the peanut gallery. The whole experience seems emotionally imploding. Going from the daily "can to can't" grind of planning, making, shaping, solving, remaking, etc. to the daily joy of doing and just "being" is a fitful transition that you'll learn to manage on your own terms. And, as you do, I am grateful that you plan to take us along on this next exploration of the possible.
The best part of this episode was where when I spied Steve reading my favorite fiction author, Patrick O'Brien in his bunk. Respect, Steve.
I love your giant reclined cockpit coamings/backrests. That looks like a super comfortable cockpit.
Hey Steve, Take your time, enjoy the process of learning to be a mariner. Not hard but the ocean and rivers can deal some funny stuff at times. Slow n Steady my friend!
Longtime viewer, tapered off a bit more recently. One question though, as I’ve watched most of the videos since launch, I didn’t see any discussion about internal ballast. I recall back in the early days Steve talked a lot about design choices, weights of materials, more oak vs cedar planking, etc. Often, the result of those talks was about it all washing out in the end when internal ballast would be re-calculated against Atkin’s design and added.
Was there a video covering this? What type of internal ballast did you add, Steve?
I just would like to make this point. Naturally, because the USA is such a large country, it is often in the news and one hears about the wackier things that go on because they get more attention/clicks. It is, however, very heartwarming to see that there are plenty of normal human beings living there who look after their dogs etc, care for each other, and like to enjoy life slowly whilst helping others along the way. Ben has done a wonderful job in bringing this side of things to the fore. Keep being normal decent humans who just get on with their lives in the simple ways. 👍 from a Brit who feels he could happily fit in with these sort of folk
That was a beautiful episode, Arabella is so graceful on the water. I have been to Ipswich, but the one in Norfolk, on England's far East Coast. And in the same same County or Norfolk, the rain scenes reminded me of school cruising trips on the Norfolk Broads which are very much like those salt marshes. Great memories, and of Granby and Mattapoisett all rolled into one.
Great Video !
"wait here for tours"…love it
sorry you had to deal with insurance leaches]
Does they insurance company think this thing is a mega yatch or something?
Hope the rates are nice in low for all the extra work.