
Boat Life During an Historic Southern Winter - Ep. 332 - Acorn to Arabella: Journey of a Wooden Boat
January 31, 2025 by Acorn To Arabella | Language: EN Play Time: 00:24:31 | SAILING YOUTUBERS

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. With the help of a few walkie-talkies, Jack and Steve communicate clearly with each other through the “skinny water,” making it through the cut, and avoiding the shoals.
The landscape along the Intracoastal Water south of Charleston continues to change, becoming more serene and unique with every bend in the Ditch, and Akiva is only too excited to get his feet wet—quite literally.
The unseasonably cold weather has been following Arabella south since they set sail in mid-November, and it’s starting to get old. The crew’s expectations have not been met by a long shot, and it’s impacting morale. Even their “cockpit blankie” can’t prevent the cold from getting into their bones. It’s one of the few situations where they’re grateful to be motoring on a low-wind day than out sailing, with the wind chill making 30º feel like 15º.
Other than a comedic “who’s on first?” situation with the bridge tender, Jack and Steve make it into Hilton Head just in time for a sleet storm. The sleet and ice turn Arabella into a winter wonderland—except with less wonder and more dismay. They never expected to need to shovel 3” of slushy sleet and ice off the deck from an anchorage in southern South Carolina.
The winter storm has a massive impact on the south—transportation is at a stand still, whether by air, sea, or land. Jack has a bit of trouble making his way back home, but ultimately catches a flight out of Savannah to get back to his saw mill in Maine. Jack specializes in providing white oak and other timber for all kinds of boat building projects, and has worked with the Pride of Baltimore, Blue Nose in Nova Scotia, Adventure in Gloucester, and so many more. Learn more at daratimber.com.
————————–
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 as an amateur wooden boat builder crafting 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 now sailing the boat—sharing details of the woodworking, carpentry, metal smithing, tool building, and tool maintenance that traditional wooden boats command. This ultimate DIY project continues beyond the boat shop, as Steve and crew 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.
————————–
If you are interested in supporting/helping here are a few ways:
https://www.acorntoarabella.com/how-to-help
Acorn to Arabella’s wishlist:
https://www.acorntoarabella.com/wishlistpriority
TotalBoat supports A2A! Please consider using our Total Boat referral code. Click here, then shop: https://www.totalboat.com/acorntoarabella They’ll kick 10% our way!
To offer recurring support via Patreon, CLICK BELOW. Just $5 a month gets you an invite to our monthly patron-only livestream Q&A sessions!
https://www.patreon.com/acorntoarabella
Original Soundtrack available at benfundis.bandcamp.com
FOLLOW US:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/acorntoarabella
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acorntoarabella/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acorntoarabella
Website: http://www.acorntoarabella.com
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. With the help of a few walkie-talkies, Jack and Steve communicate clearly with each other through the “skinny water,” making it through the cut, and avoiding the shoals.
The landscape along the Intracoastal Water south of Charleston continues to change, becoming more serene and unique with every bend in the Ditch, and Akiva is only too excited to get his feet wet—quite literally.
The unseasonably cold weather has been following Arabella south since they set sail in mid-November, and it’s starting to get old. The crew’s expectations have not been met by a long shot, and it’s impacting morale. Even their “cockpit blankie” can’t prevent the cold from getting into their bones. It’s one of the few situations where they’re grateful to be motoring on a low-wind day than out sailing, with the wind chill making 30º feel like 15º.
Other than a comedic “who’s on first?” situation with the bridge tender, Jack and Steve make it into Hilton Head just in time for a sleet storm. The sleet and ice turn Arabella into a winter wonderland—except with less wonder and more dismay. They never expected to need to shovel 3” of slushy sleet and ice off the deck from an anchorage in southern South Carolina.
The winter storm has a massive impact on the south—transportation is at a stand still, whether by air, sea, or land. Jack has a bit of trouble making his way back home, but ultimately catches a flight out of Savannah to get back to his saw mill in Maine. Jack specializes in providing white oak and other timber for all kinds of boat building projects, and has worked with the Pride of Baltimore, Blue Nose in Nova Scotia, Adventure in Gloucester, and so many more. Learn more at daratimber.com.
--------------------------
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 as an amateur wooden boat builder crafting 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 now sailing the boat—sharing details of the woodworking, carpentry, metal smithing, tool building, and tool maintenance that traditional wooden boats command. This ultimate DIY project continues beyond the boat shop, as Steve and crew 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.
--------------------------
If you are interested in supporting/helping here are a few ways:
https://www.acorntoarabella.com/how-to-help
Acorn to Arabella's wishlist:
https://www.acorntoarabella.com/wishlistpriority
TotalBoat supports A2A! Please consider using our Total Boat referral code. Click here, then shop: https://www.totalboat.com/acorntoarabella They'll kick 10% our way!
To offer recurring support via Patreon, CLICK BELOW. Just $5 a month gets you an invite to our monthly patron-only livestream Q&A sessions!
https://www.patreon.com/acorntoarabella
Original Soundtrack available at benfundis.bandcamp.com
FOLLOW US:
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/acorntoarabella
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acorntoarabella/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acorntoarabella
Website: http://www.acorntoarabella.com
Boat Life During an Historic Southern Winter - Ep. 332 - Acorn to Arabella: Journey of a Wooden Boat Locations
Note of Recognition for Acorn To Arabella
At WeBoating.com, we profoundly acknowledge the unwavering dedication that Acorn To Arabella and other creators invests in crafting each and every video. Their passion for delivering exceptional content shines through every frame, and it's a labor of love that deserves your attention.
We invite you to watch their captivating videos and actively engage with their content, including their social media links above. Liking, commenting, and sharing their work goes a long way in fueling their creative fire.
We're also inviting you to explore any sponsorships and partnerships highlighted in the video description of "Boat Life During an Historic Southern Winter - Ep. 332 - Acorn to Arabella: Journey of a Wooden Boat", or directly on YouTube. By considering their offerings or purchasing services and items, you not only support Acorn To Arabella but also the brands and collaborators they're associated with.
If you have any feedback, corrections, or additional information about Acorn To Arabella or their videos, please use the comment form below to share your thoughts with us.
Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting the creators we cherish. Your time and support truly matter!
Acorn To Arabella Lastest Videos

Boat Maintenance Woes: Technical Difficulties with the Watermaker & Auto Helm
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...
Autopilot or Bust: A Metalwork Collaboration Between Acorn to Arabella and SV Seeker
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 fo...
After Over 3,000 Miles, Arabella Drops Anchor at the Dry Tortugas
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 ...
Sailing Two Wooden Boats & Saltwater Fly Fishing in the Ten Thousand Islands
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...
We Left Our Heart in North Captiva #Cruising #Sailing #LiveaboardLife
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 lo...