Building a 38’ sailboat from stump to ship, to take sail around the world.
From Acorn To Arabella. This week, we’re setting out for a 4-day offshore run from Norfolk, VA back to Mattapoisett, MA—where we launched Arabella almost two years ago to the date! Our good friend George joined us for the passage. We learned an expensive lesson about securing our anchor before heading offshore, so I took…
From Acorn To Arabella. Work on the dodger may be done, but before we can leave Okracoke, we need to install our new Garmin GMI20. The last one died halfway through our passage from Miami to Beaufort, and we had a replacement unit sent to the Okracoke post office. Despite our best efforts to get…
From Acorn To Arabella. This week, Arabella makes her way to Okracoke Island, at the south end of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Robin and I have been looking forward to visiting the Outer Banks, and maybe exploring long-abandoned Portsmouth Island. With winds expected to pipe up, we deployed a conservative sail plan for our passage…
From Acorn To Arabella. After our offshore run, I promised Robin that I would wait for her in Beaufort so she could see the wild horses on Carrot Island, explore the shops in downtown Beaufort, and visit the Outer Banks before our run back North. While waiting, I tackle some boat maintenance projects, namely fixing…
From Acorn To Arabella. This week, the journey resumes on day three of our offshore sailing passage from Miami, FL to Beaufort, NC. Along for the journey was my old college buddy, Dave, and my new friend, Jesse, who we met in Key Biscayne. On day 2 of our passage, we brought a Mahi up…
From Acorn To Arabella. This week, we’re getting ready for a 600-mile offshore passage from Miami, FL to Beaufort, NC. Before we set sail, I took the chance to get some boat work done: scrubbing and oiling the decks, smoothing out the battens so they don’t get stuck in the lazy jacks when we hoist…
From Acorn To Arabella. This week, we start with a visit from the one and only Sam Holmes—a real, actual sailor! Sam regales us with tales of suffering and single handing his sailboat, and gives us some advice for the passages in our future. If you’re not already following him, make sure to check him…
From Acorn To Arabella. You know what they say: “BOAT” stands for “Break Out Another Thousand.” While we were anchored in the Dry Tortugas, I got our Spectra watermaker back online. This week, back in Key West, we’re troubleshooting an issue with the feed pump pressure switch, which cuts the watermaker pump in and out…
From Acorn To Arabella. This week’s video resumes in the Dry Tortugas, where we’re stuck on finding a solution for installing our auto helm. But that can wait…first, fishing! Our bait attracted a few good-sized Nurse Sharks and Goliath Groupers, putting on quite the show for Akiva! The Nurse Sharks are gentle, but they’re still…
From Acorn To Arabella. In this episode, we sail Arabella over to the clear, blue waters of the Dry Tortugas National Park, 70 miles west of Key West. Starting from the Ten Thousand Islands, we hit Key West for provisions, hot showers, and to pick up the parts we need to get our auto helm…
From Acorn To Arabella. In this week’s episode, we say goodbye to Sanibel Island and the beautiful “Ding” Darling Wilderness, and we set sail for Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands, an archipelago just north of and adjacent to the Everglades. It felt great to raise the sails after so much motoring. We enjoyed a lively, adventurous…
From Acorn To Arabella. Along our journey south, we decided to drop the anchor in North Captiva and stay a few days. We totally fell in love with this sleepy island town. From walking along the shell-covered white sand beaches to checking out the wildlife, there was so much to love about North Captiva. Don’t…
From Acorn To Arabella. We took Arabella to Boca Grande for a week to get some boat work done…but we had to spend some time adventuring, too. We paddle boarded over to Three Sisters Island, took Victoria out sailing (after repairing her transom), wandered around the "Old Florida" back roads, had lunch at the Pink…
From Acorn To Arabella. Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code ARABELLA at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/arabella ————————– We’ve sailed our beautiful wooden sailboat all the way from Maine to Boca Grande, where it’s time to stop and give our tender, Victoria, a little TLC. Her transom…
From Acorn To Arabella. Four months ago, we left Maine on our hand built wooden sailboat. Join us in Southwest Florida, as we adventure our way through Cabbage Key and Cayo Costa. We set out on paddleboards to find the elusive "Tunnel of Love," a natural mangrove tunnel that leads into a lagoon on the…
From Acorn To Arabella. Use this link to subscribe and save $20 off your first subscription of AG1 https://drinkag1.com/acorntoarabella ————————– This week, Arabella exits the Caloosahatchee River and sails towards the Gulf of Mexico, dropping anchor in Cape Coral to provision the boat and head in to Rumrunners for a nice dinner on the water.…
From Acorn To Arabella. We spent 4 days cruising the Okeechobee Waterway in our handbuilt wooden sailboat, and this is what we saw… 🎥 Watch the full episode – https://youtu.be/jQGzQfXn3Es ————————– Sign up for our email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hn3Qyv Acorn to Arabella started as a wooden boat building project in Granby, Massachusetts. Steve began the journey…
From Acorn To Arabella. Join us (and a tree full of pelicans) as we begin cruising east to west on the Okeechobee Waterway. Not many sailboats our size have the ability to cruise the Okeechobee Waterway. Because we are gaff-rigged, our masts are shorter, giving us the clearance we need to pass under the many…
From Acorn To Arabella. This week, we continue cruising the Intracoastal Waterway down the east coast of Florida. We miss sailing, but offshore waters were calling for sloppy seas and light winds. With few safe harbors to duck into in the case of emergency, we decided to stay grounded in the ICW. And when we…
From Acorn To Arabella. Throughout the process of building my own wooden sailboat, I had to make several important decisions. Some of these decisions were met with massive support, others…not so much. One important consideration was marine diesel engine maintenance—I wanted it to be as easy as possible! In this week’s episode, we’ll be exploring…
From Acorn To Arabella. For months, Steve and Robin have been moving Arabella south, waiting for warm enough weather to haul her, and give her a fresh coat of paint. The time has finally come. Arabella is getting hauled out, and—in this episode—we’ll detail the hard work that went into scraping and painting their homebuilt…
From Acorn To Arabella. Robin finally returns to Arabella after spending a few weeks dealing with work stuff. Steve takes the opportunity to handle some housekeeping and tame Akiva’s mane while waiting for Robin to return. Once Robin arrives, Steve takes her on a tour of the oldest city in America. St. Augustine was founded…
From Acorn To Arabella. After a few challenging (and expensive) days on a dock in the fancy town of Hilton Head, Jack finally catches a flight home, and Steve’s friend, Jeff, makes his way into town to take his place. Steve provisions the boat, and cleans the rest of the snow and ice off the…
From Acorn To Arabella. Surprise, surprise. It’s STILL not warm for Arabella and crew, which is anchored in Charleston, SC. Annie B. heads back home, and Jack and Steve continue on. “Beaufort to Buford” is the war cry! The first challenge for Jack and Steve is Elliot Cut, a notoriously tricky section of ICW south.…
From Acorn To Arabella. Thanks to Lumen for sponsoring! To get 20% off go to https://lumen.me/ACORN and start improving your health today. ————————– A friend in need is a friend indeed—especially if your friend is also on a wooden boat! This week’s episode opens with Steve tendering out to the Schooner Hindu, where his friend…
From Acorn To Arabella. This week, the journey resumes as Arabella and crew continue to sail south through North Carolina, heading towards warmer waters. A slower pace of life means an opportunity for some much-needed housekeeping. Steve tackles a clean-out of Arabella’s anchor locker from a quiet anchorage in Goose Creek, washing away the the…
From Acorn To Arabella. This week, Arabella slows down and cruises through the Great Dismal Swamp, navigating her first lock—the Deep Creek Lock—and leaving a small reminder that they were there 😉 After a provisioning run at the local Food Lion, Steve and Robin venture deeper into the Great Dismal Swamp, which—despite its name—is both…
From Acorn To Arabella. Farewell, Annapolis. It’s time for this handcrafted wooden sailboat to keep cruising South towards warmer weather. After visiting a few quiet anchorages in the Chesapeake, Robin, and Akiva stop for a few days in Seaford to get some "life stuff" done…but not before getting the boat stuck in the mud. Fortunately,…
From Acorn To Arabella. We hope everyone watching is in the middle of a great holiday season. All we want for Christmas is for you to tell your friends and family about our channel 🙂 After spending a few days pinned down with bad weather, Steve and Robin head out of Bivalve and up the…
From Acorn To Arabella. The first 1,000 people to click the link will get a full year of Premium membership to Woodworkers Guild of America for only $1.49: https://go.wwgoa.com/acorntoarabella2-qr/ How many jackets is too many? Arabella makes her way down the Jersey coast. Steve, Robin, and Peter (a friend from Boothbay, Maine) brace for colder…
From Acorn To Arabella. Arabella makes her way through New York City! After setting the anchor in Glen Cove (Long Island, NY), Steve and Robin awake to an early alarm, like 4am-early, to time their arrival to the East River. Along the way, they enjoy incredible views of the Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue…
From Acorn To Arabella. Got local knowledge about our upcoming route? Let us know! Email us: acorntoarabella@gmail.com If you tuned into last week’s video, you may be aware that our engine died… Luckily, the engine itself turned out to be totally fine. There was an issue with water getting into the plugs that connect to…
From Acorn To Arabella. Learn more about the Elite 200V2 and visit our website for Black Friday gifts and discounts 👉https://bit.ly/497towl code: ACORN01 The journey continues! Ben joins the crew for a planned sail to Delaware. The hope is to be heading to Puerto Rico early December. Steve, Robin, and Ben have quite a few…
From Acorn To Arabella. This week, Arabella journeys to Mattapoisett, where she was first launched about a year and a half ago. The first leg requires sailing from Boothbay to Gloucester. The crew experiences heavy winds, sea sickness, and sightings of humpback whales—nothing Captain Steve can’t handle! After a quick trip in Gloucester, Steve and…
From Acorn To Arabella. The first 1,000 people to click the link will get a full year of Premium membership to Woodworkers Guild of America for only $1.49: https://go.wwgoa.com/acorntoarabella/ This offer is a special Black Friday deal and is valid for new members only The work continues to get Arabella ready for her journey south.…
From Acorn To Arabella. Arriving back to Arabella after so long spent away was a bittersweet moment. Although excited to move on and start doing the types of adventures that Arabella was built for, the passing of Steve’s mom is a somber point from which to begin again. After recounting how his mom’s illness has…