From Bras d’Or Lake to the North Atlantic: Learning (and Splicing) the Ropes
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This week, we pick up where we left off in Baddeck, NS. Robin continues learning the ropes, opting to “singlehanded” Arabella from Baddeck to Kelly’s Cove, which is the last anchorage before the open North Atlantic ocean.
Robin drops the mooring and runs back to take control of the tiller, navigating the mooring field and safely steering Arabella out to the lake. She raises sail, brings Arabella to her destination for the day, and drops anchor in Kelly’s Cove.
Kelly’s Cove is a quiet harbor surrounded by the hills of Cape Breton—including a network of ATV trails weaving through the mountains. With the outdoor ban lifted, we decide to do some exploring. The trails are steep and loose, and it feels so good to hike up, up, up, and up.
The next day, we weigh anchor again and head into some strong currents in the narrows, but without a wind-over-current situation, we didn’t experience the wild breakers that many people have noted in this section of Bras d’Or Lake. Once into the North Atlantic, we raise sail and make way for North Sydney, NS.
From North Sydney, Robin rides her bike 61-miles back to St. Peters to shuttle the truck, and I take the opportunity to tackle a few boat projects from the to-do list, starting with painting our propane tanks with TotalBoat’s TotalProtect.
After the propane tanks are looking spiffy again, I tackle the next project: adding nylon rode to our anchor chain. As we head to Newfoundland, the water gets steep-to-shore in many places, and we may need 200’ or 300’ of rode to anchor safely. I consider using an anchor chain splice to connect the rode to the chain, but the fact that it cannot be removed from the chain makes it a poor fit for our needs. A Spectra soft shackle is a better connection for our set up.
I get the new anchor rode system installed in the forepeak, and we’re ready to sail this wooden boat across the Cabot Strait to Newfoundland…which we do next week. See you then!
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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.
————————–
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
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 “singlehanded” Arabella from Baddeck to Kelly’s Cove, which is the last anchorage before the open North Atlantic ocean.
Robin drops the mooring and runs back to take control of the tiller, navigating the mooring field and safely steering Arabella out to the lake. She raises sail, brings Arabella to her destination for the day, and drops anchor in Kelly’s Cove.
Kelly’s Cove is a quiet harbor surrounded by the hills of Cape Breton—including a network of ATV trails weaving through the mountains. With the outdoor ban lifted, we decide to do some exploring. The trails are steep and loose, and it feels so good to hike up, up, up, and up.
The next day, we weigh anchor again and head into some strong currents in the narrows, but without a wind-over-current situation, we didn’t experience the wild breakers that many people have noted in this section of Bras d’Or Lake. Once into the North Atlantic, we raise sail and make way for North Sydney, NS.
From North Sydney, Robin rides her bike 61-miles back to St. Peters to shuttle the truck, and I take the opportunity to tackle a few boat projects from the to-do list, starting with painting our propane tanks with TotalBoat’s TotalProtect.
After the propane tanks are looking spiffy again, I tackle the next project: adding nylon rode to our anchor chain. As we head to Newfoundland, the water gets steep-to-shore in many places, and we may need 200’ or 300’ of rode to anchor safely. I consider using an anchor chain splice to connect the rode to the chain, but the fact that it cannot be removed from the chain makes it a poor fit for our needs. A Spectra soft shackle is a better connection for our set up.
I get the new anchor rode system installed in the forepeak, and we’re ready to sail this wooden boat across the Cabot Strait to Newfoundland…which we do next week. See you then!
--------------------------
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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Social Media Links:
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Acorn To Arabella Lastest Videos
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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...
Sticker Shock! Decorating the Dodger Before Cruising to Norfolk
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 bes...
Dodging Shoals and Working on the Dodger: Sailing to Ocracoke Island & Cape Hatteras
This week, Arabella makes her way to Ocracoke 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 ...
Fixing a Leaky Boat Deck & More Boat Maintenance Fun
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...
5 Days And 4 Nights Offshore: Catching Mahi & Learning Lessons
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 M...
Setting Sail for a 600-Mile Offshore Passage (But Only After a Little Boat Work)
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 la...
Trading the ePropulsion Electric Motor for a Loud, Smelly Gas Engine (But At Least It Works)
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 hi...
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...
The Boca Grande Experience #LiveaboardLife #Cruising #WoodenBoat
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 Flor...
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