Exploring Halifax by Foot and Terence Bay by Paddleboard…But Still No Woods
This week, we’re still anchored in Terence Bay, Nova Scotia…and the ban on the outdoors is still in effect. Never in a million years did we ever expect to be wishing for rain in order to go rock climbing, hiking, and mountain biking.
Despite our disappointment, we decide to make the best of it. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic was a highly recommended attraction, so we spent a day exploring their exhibits. We started with a tour of the CSS Acadia, which was launched in 1913 as a hydrographic survey vessel, and retired in 1969—the last steam-powered Canadian service vessel still afloat. Everything on deck is massive—much bigger than anything on Arabella.
After a tour of the CSS Acadia, we had to pop in and check out the kid’s boat building workshop. In the museum, we learned so much about Joshua Slocum, the first person to single-hand a sailboat solo around the world, and other sailing legends.
Seeing an array of wooden sailboats—some built in as early as 1890—inspires Steve’s vision for another potential build in the future…maybe? But first, we need to finish building the one we’re currently living on…
Without the temptation to go climbing, it’s a little easier to find the motivation to get boat projects done. One of the small tasks I’ve been wanting to do is put a small ceiling in behind the workbench, to prevent objects from falling behind it and into the bilge. I picked up two 1/4” sheets of red oak plywood from the local hardware store to get the job done.
Measure once. Measure twice. Mark it up. Then cut…
Once I get the ceiling nice and snug behind the workbench, I seal the planking, house frames, and plywood with TotalBoat’s Danish Teak Sealer, which is more of an oil than a varnish. The red oak doesn’t check all of our boxes—and we hate covering up the beautiful frames and planking—so I’ll likely find a better solution in the future. For now, though, this gets the job done.
Now that boat work is out of the way, it’s time to go play on our paddleboards. A local fisherman gave us some information about a “secret” beach that is only accessible by small boat, so we decide to go check it out. The water in the cove was crystal clear, with the vibrant colors of kelp, seaweed, and small colorful stones providing plenty of optical stimulation. We had the whole beach to ourselves.
The consensus is that we love Nova Scotia…but we need to keep moving to where we can get back into the woods. Blow Me Down cliff isn’t gonna climb itself next summer, and we need to get to training ;-)
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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.
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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
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Acorn To Arabella
Steve Denette: The 5th-generation farmer who built the 38ft wooden ketch Arabella from the stumps of his family farm, now pioneering big-wall climbing in Newfoundland.
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This week, we’re still anchored in Terence Bay, Nova Scotia…and the ban on the outdoors is still in effect. Never in a million years did we ever expect to be wishing for rain in order to go rock climbing, hiking, and mountain biking.
Despite our disappointment, we decide to make the best of it. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic was a highly recommended attraction, so we spent a day exploring their exhibits. We started with a tour of the CSS Acadia, which was launched in 1913 as a hydrographic survey vessel, and retired in 1969—the last steam-powered Canadian service vessel still afloat. Everything on deck is massive—much bigger than anything on Arabella.
After a tour of the CSS Acadia, we had to pop in and check out the kid’s boat building workshop. In the museum, we learned so much about Joshua Slocum, the first person to single-hand a sailboat solo around the world, and other sailing legends.
Seeing an array of wooden sailboats—some built in as early as 1890—inspires Steve’s vision for another potential build in the future…maybe? But first, we need to finish building the one we’re currently living on…
Without the temptation to go climbing, it’s a little easier to find the motivation to get boat projects done. One of the small tasks I’ve been wanting to do is put a small ceiling in behind the workbench, to prevent objects from falling behind it and into the bilge. I picked up two 1/4” sheets of red oak plywood from the local hardware store to get the job done.
Measure once. Measure twice. Mark it up. Then cut…
Once I get the ceiling nice and snug behind the workbench, I seal the planking, house frames, and plywood with TotalBoat’s Danish Teak Sealer, which is more of an oil than a varnish. The red oak doesn’t check all of our boxes—and we hate covering up the beautiful frames and planking—so I’ll likely find a better solution in the future. For now, though, this gets the job done.
Now that boat work is out of the way, it’s time to go play on our paddleboards. A local fisherman gave us some information about a “secret” beach that is only accessible by small boat, so we decide to go check it out. The water in the cove was crystal clear, with the vibrant colors of kelp, seaweed, and small colorful stones providing plenty of optical stimulation. We had the whole beach to ourselves.
The consensus is that we love Nova Scotia…but we need to keep moving to where we can get back into the woods. Blow Me Down cliff isn’t gonna climb itself next summer, and we need to get to training 😉
————————–
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
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