In this episode of Acorn to Arabella, Steve, Robin, and AKA face the challenge of restarting their diesel engine after experiencing an issue while at Cudy Hunk Island. Follow their journey as they troubleshoot and find solutions, ultimately aiming to begin their voyage back to the coast of Maine. Hitchhiking With A Mooring – Key Points:
Steve realized there was an issue with fuel flow, causing the motor not to start.
Jesse pumped, bled, and drained the system, fixing the fuel flow issue.
The team successfully picked up their first mooring of the season.
Converting Starlink To DC Power:
The team previously attempted to convert Starlink to use DC power using an Amazon conversion kit, but faced challenges.
With guidance from Reddit threads and blog articles, the team finally succeeded in running Starlink on battery power.
Enhancing Solar Panel Power:
The existing flexible solar panels were not producing enough power for the new requirements (Starlink, fridge).
Adding two more rigid solar panels significantly improved battery charging capabilities.
The team needs to consider a long-term solution for the placement of these additional panels. For this episode of Acorn to Arabella, Steve and Jesse wanted to ensure their diesel engine was running smoothly before setting sail again. They successfully restarted the engine but faced unexpected challenges along the way. Additionally, the team managed to resolve their Starlink conversion issue and enhance their solar power generation capabilities for an improved boating experience. With these problems addressed and a plan in place for their rigid solar panels, Steve and Jesse are now well-prepared to continue their journey back to the coast of Maine. This episode highlights the importance of continuous troubleshooting and adapting strategies when faced with unexpected setbacks during a lengthy boat voyage.
Beam Dream is clinically shown to help you fall asleep faster, sleep through the night and wake up refreshed. Click https://shopbeam.com/AcorntoArabella and use code ACORN to get up to 35% off with my exclusive discount.
Steve, Robin, and Akiva are spending the week at a mooring in Mattapoisett while they take care of a few important to-dos before beginning their journey north up the coast of Maine.
If you tuned in to last week’s episode, you know that Arabella's engine died just outside the channel going into Cuttyhunk Island. Well, it’s time to see if any permanent damage was done, and if Arabella will be able to fire up its engine again soon.
After an oil change and some coaxing, the engine did fire up and ran for a few minutes at idle. However, the oil light came back on pretty much immediately. With plenty of oil and solid oil pressure, Steve is perplexed by what the issue could be...so he called in the experts at Nanni to come take a look.
Turns out, there was an airlock in the motor that prevented it from receiving fuel. After some exploring, the airflow is back to normal, the engine is getting fuel, and no serious damage has been done. Phew...
Another important to-do is getting Starlink up and running on DC power. While in Harwich Port, Steve and Robin ran their Starlink dish off of shore power. Now that they’re cruising again, there’s no access to shore power, and while Starlink could technically run off their inverters, it’s more efficient to run it off of DC power. Of course, there’s little to no info on how to perform this conversion. Steve's first few attempts unfortunately failed.
After getting some useless information from a Starlink tech, Robin and Steve phoned a few friends, who were able to collaborate on a fix. Starlink is officially running off of DC power and good to go, just in time for cruising season. Robin is thrilled to be able to run her business from the cockpit this summer!
Of course, since Starlink is now drawing on the boat's battery bank, the amount of power being generated on deck needs to increase. Installing a few more solar panels should do the trick. There are a few more rigid solar panels that could provide more power...but will it be enough to power Starlink? Only time will tell...
--------------------------
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
Restarting The Diesel Engine - Episode 313 - Acorn to Arabella: Journey of a Wooden Boat Locations
Cudy Hunk Island, Maine (43.6589,-69.3083)
Coast of Maine (44.55,-68.45)
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 acorntoarabella@lighthouseagents.com.
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 "Restarting The Diesel Engine - Episode 313 - 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!
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/hn3Qy...
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 w...
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 gro...
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 i...
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 th...
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 o...
Manage Cookies
We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show (non-) personalized ads. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Always active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
