Starting This Weird Old Diesel | My First Solo Docking With a Variable Pitch Prop

This episode marks a milestone — my first solo move aboard W. Grebe, our classic wooden sailboat. I start the classic Sabb diesel engine and test the variable-pitch propeller while moving her to a new slip. A little bit of mayhem at the final moments! The Norwegian Sabb diesel is an unusual engine — hand-crankable, simple, and built like a tank. Starting it is unorthodox but deeply satisfying. With the variable-pitch prop, docking requires finesse rather than throttle. It’s a learning curve, but everything works smoothly as Grebe moves under her own power once again. If you’re into traditional boats, slow engineering, or bringing old vessels back to life, you’ll enjoy this one. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:28 Starting the Sabb diesel 07:42 The engine lives 08:22 Variable pitch prop spinning 08:48 Adjustable pitch propeller 10:34 Moving Grebe to a new slip 15:05 Docking mayhem 18:14 The Grebe has landed Watch more: 🪚 Rebuilding W. Grebe playlist → https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDLZJ5v1wVfBab4iCZ07j3vnJy_I6nJQM ⚓ Instagram: @johnfraserswildlife Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG6diCN-nm_nUS-BS-hJHTA/join