Spring Boat Projects Begin | Fixing Tools & Rebuilding Aboard Arabella

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:01:32 +0000

Winter is finally starting to loosen its grip in Newfoundland, and that means one thing—spring boat projects are underway aboard Arabella.

This week, we shift gears from skiing and backcountry travel to life aboard the boat, tackling the kinds of projects that keep a wooden sailboat ready for the next season. From repairing a decades-old hatchet that’s been part of this journey since childhood to rebuilding parts of the interior and preparing new wood for upcoming repairs, it’s all about making do with what we have and improving things one step at a time.

Working aboard a boat in a limited space—with limited tools—means every project is a balance between function, efficiency, and adaptability. Nothing is ever truly finished, and everything is designed to evolve.

As the ice begins to break up around Arabella, the focus shifts toward getting the boat ready for the upcoming cruising season—and all the adventures that come with it.

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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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Original Soundtrack available at benfundis.bandcamp.com

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