Feathering Prop Rebuild Start to Finish & Saying Goodbye to Arabella (For Now)
It’s time to leave Arabella for six weeks as Steve and Robin head back to the United States for the holidays—but not before getting the boat safely settled for early winter in Newfoundland. With the cover on, heaters set, and friends keeping an eye on things, Arabella is ready to rest while the crew visits family.
This episode follows the transition from boat life to shore life and then dives into something special: a full behind-the-scenes look at the complete teardown, inspection, cleaning, and rebuild of Arabella’s feathering propeller at AccuTech in Dover, New Hampshire. From seized blades and marine growth to German-engineered brake rings and precision pitch tuning, you’ll see exactly what goes into a proper feathering prop service—and why it matters.
Whether you’re here for winter prep, travel days, or deep mechanical nerdiness, this episode has a little bit of everything.
In this episode:
• Preparing Arabella for six winter weeks alone
• Holiday travel on the ferry back to the States
• Limited-run Arabella merch clean-out
• Searching for affordable boat insurance
• Full feathering propeller teardown + how it really works
• Pitch tuning, brake rings, and expert maintenance tips
• What causes prop damage—and how to avoid expensive mistakes
• Before-and-after transformation of the prop
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Episode 374
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.
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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
It’s time to leave Arabella for six weeks as Steve and Robin head back to the United States for the holidays—but not before getting the boat safely settled for early winter in Newfoundland. With the cover on, heaters set, and friends keeping an eye on things, Arabella is ready to rest while the crew visits family.
This episode follows the transition from boat life to shore life and then dives into something special: a full behind-the-scenes look at the complete teardown, inspection, cleaning, and rebuild of Arabella’s feathering propeller at AccuTech in Dover, New Hampshire. From seized blades and marine growth to German-engineered brake rings and precision pitch tuning, you’ll see exactly what goes into a proper feathering prop service—and why it matters.
Whether you’re here for winter prep, travel days, or deep mechanical nerdiness, this episode has a little bit of everything.
In this episode:
• Preparing Arabella for six winter weeks alone
• Holiday travel on the ferry back to the States
• Limited-run Arabella merch clean-out
• Searching for affordable boat insurance
• Full feathering propeller teardown + how it really works
• Pitch tuning, brake rings, and expert maintenance tips
• What causes prop damage—and how to avoid expensive mistakes
• Before-and-after transformation of the prop
--------------------------
Episode 374
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
Acorn To Arabella
We are building a 38’ sailboat from stump to ship, once complete she will take us around the world. We hope to inspire and educate as many people as possible along the way. Join us on our journey and let us show you that with a bit of dedication, good company and some old school smarts even the wildest of dreams can be made to come true! For inquiries about collaborating or integrations, please email [email protected].
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Acorn To Arabella Lastest Videos
Feathering Prop Rebuild Start to Finish & Saying Goodbye to Arabella (For Now)
It’s time to leave Arabella for six weeks as Steve and Robin head back to the United States for the holidays—but not before getting the boat safely settled for early winter in Newfoundland. With the cover on, heaters set, and friends keeping an eye on ...
Building a Winter Tent Over Our Sailboat | Shrink Wrap Prep in Newfoundland
Winter prep continues aboard Arabella in Corner Brook, Newfoundland—and this week it’s time to build a proper tent over the housetop before shrink wrap goes on. With help from fellow adventurers Lina Chu (a Vietnamese-Ukrainian photographer) and her pa...
Quick Haul-Out & Hull Inspection | Preparing Arabella for a Newfoundland Winter
The tide is high, and it’s haul-out day for Arabella—but only briefly. This week, Steve and Robin bring the boat ashore in Corner Brook, Newfoundland for a quick mid-winter inspection and to remove their feathering propeller for its scheduled 2–3 yea...
Sailboat Winterization: Removing Sails, Fixing Corroded Hardware & Prepping for Haul-Out
#BLUETTI #Elite100V2 #SolarGenerator #BlackFriday #BlackFriday2025 Elite 100 V2: https://bit.ly/49ppwcr Discount Code: ACORN5OFF (5% off for all series) Winter is closing in on Corner Brook, Newfoundland, and Steve’s in full prep mode aboard Arabella. T...
Prepping Arabella for Winter | Anchor Chain Upgrades & Getting Ready for a Season Ashore
As winter closes in on Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Arabella is almost ready to settle in for the season. With most of the harbor cleared out, it’s time for some of those quiet but satisfying projects that make cruising easier down the road. In this epis...
Handmade Fur Slippers & Mitts Aboard Arabella | Winter Boat Life in Newfoundland
This week aboard Arabella in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Steve takes on a cozy mission while Robin is away: Mission: Warm Robin. With winter closing in and temperatures dropping fast, it’s the perfect time to prep both the boat and a special surprise for...
Mountain Biking & Trad Climbing in Newfoundland | Exploring Gros Morne’s Hidden Trails & Tablelands
Join Steve and Robin aboard Arabella as they take on two unforgettable Newfoundland adventures—mountain biking the new Rocky Harbor trails and trad climbing the otherworldly Tablelands in Gros Morne National Park. From rugged terrain to pure alpine explo...
Exploring the Local Shipwreck & Multi-Pitch Climbing in Corner Brook, NL
This week aboard Arabella, we’re settling into our new home for the winter—the small but mighty harbor of Corner Brook, Newfoundland 🇨🇦. While many have asked, “Why would you want to live on a sailboat through a Newfoundland winter?” we’re ...
Getting Ready to Live Aboard a Sailboat During Winter in Newfoundland
Now that summer is coming to a close, it’s time for us to start winterizing our homebuilt wooden sailboat for the cold weather to come. Over-wintering in Newfoundland—on a sailboat, nonetheless—is a bold move, and one that we need to prepare for. As...
Challenge Accepted: Backpacking the Northern & Long Range Traverse in Gros Morne National Park
This week, we’re moving our adventures from the ocean to the mountains: it’s time for a backpacking trip in Gros Morne National Park! With Akiva in tow, our plan is to backpack the combined Northern and Long Range Traverse. This challenging route is la...
Over Land and Sea: The Final Passage of the Year from Codroy to the Bay of Islands
Welcome back to Newfoundland aboard Arabella! This week, we’re traveling by land and by sea, making our final passage before winter settles in for the season. While Robin took the ferry back to Nova Scotia to shuttle the truck, I single-handed Arabella ...
Sailing to Newfoundland and Finding the Greatest Rescue Story Ever
After sailing thousands of miles, Steve and Robin embark on the final leg of their journey—navigating their sailboat, Arabella, toward her winter home in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. In this episode, they prepare for a crossing over the notorious Cabot S...
From Bras d’Or Lake to the North Atlantic: Learning (and Splicing) the Ropes
Try Huel with 15% OFF today using my code ACORN15 at http://huel.com/ACORN15. Fuel your best performance with Huel today! Minimum order value of $75. This week, we pick up where we left off in Baddeck, NS. Robin continues learning the ropes, opting to “...
Anchored Bow and Stern at the Greatest Anchorage in the Bras d’Ors
This week, we continue cruising the Bras d’Or Lakes, bringing Arabella from Macnabs Cove to Baddeck…with a lovely stop at Pellier Harbour on the way. Robin was able to get some more experience with hoisting and lowering all four of Arabella’s sails,...
Cruising the Bras d’Or Lakes: A Good Start in St. Peter’s
This week, with the woods ban still in place, we decide to hightail it to Newfoundland via the Bras d’Or Lakes. We’re itching to get climbing, hiking and biking again! Before we start sailing north, I took the time to do something that’s been on my ...
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 disap...
Rock Climbing on Shannon Island: Training for a 2,000’ Big Wall in Newfoundland
If you can remember, back when I started this project, I was working full-time as a route setter at a local rock climbing gym. I largely set climbing aside while I built Arabella, but my goal has always been to sail Arabella to remote places where the clim...
Anchored in Terence Bay: It’s Time for Some Rock Climbing
This week, I move the boat and drop anchor in Terence Bay—which is surrounded by some of Nova Scotia’s best climbing areas. But Robin is still making her way back to Canada with the truck and all of our climbing gear. My rock climbing stoke will have t...
Single-Handing the 38’ Wooden Sailboat He Built Himself
You can still contribute to the fight against cancer at https://profile.pmc.org/bf0201 This week, we map out our passage from Shelburne to Lunenburg, NS, making sure to follow a route safely offshore enough to avoid the many shoals and exposed rocks on th...
From P-Town to Nova Scotia: Our First International Sailing Adventure
This week, we’re taking Arabella international—we’re sailing from Provincetown, MA to Shelburne, Nova Scotia. But, before we go too far, we need to calibrate our NEW Pelagic autopilot. After our autopilot broke a few hours into our last multi-day off...
We’re Over-Wintering Where? Getting Ready for Our First International Passage
This week, we're getting our homebuilt wooden boat ready for her first international passage. Sure, it’s just to Canada, but to us, it’s a big deal! First up is finishing work on the bowsprit. I needed to get the bow out of our bronze bow roller befor...
Moving the Diesel Engine Panel & A New Cockpit Nav Station
It’s Arabella Demolition Day, folks! This week, I’m dismantling our on-deck nav station and engine control panel, and rebuilding one big station to house all of our gadgets and gizmos: the chart plotter, wind reader, VHF radio, engine controls, and our...
Repairing Rot in the Bowsprit & Snugging Up a Loose Rig
A calm morning in Marion Harbor makes for the perfect day to deal with the rot I found in Arabella’s bowsprit while we were back in Miami. What I thought was just a small spot of rot turned out to be a bit bigger than I had imagined—an indication that ...
Gale Force Winds & Broken Autopilot! Offshore from VA to MA
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 securi...
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