Acorn To Arabellavideo

Dodging Shoals and Working on the Dodger: Sailing to Ocracoke Island & Cape Hatteras

6 June 2025 · 19 min · 35K views · Ocracoke Island

What this video covers

Arabella, a custom-built vessel, encounters shallow water and sandbars while approaching Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. During the final approach, the boat slams in heavy troughs before grounding on a shoal.3:46 The crew anchors overnight to wait for the tide and observes local vessels to navigate the channel safely the following morning.4:11 Once anchored in Ocracoke, the crew performs maintenance on the dodger, which requires removing and reinstalling solar panels and a Starlink antenna.8:20 Steve sands the dodger top with 150-grit sandpaper, cleans the surface with denatured alcohol, and applies protective paint.11:30 To improve cable management, he installs waterproof cable glands through the aluminium solar panel frames and shortens the excess Starlink wiring.13:50 The project aims to improve the dodger’s waterproofing and structural integrity before the vessel continues north into colder, wetter conditions.18:35

Watch on YouTube

More from Acorn To Arabella

We Stripped Our Wooden Sailboat Back to Bare Wood... AgainOct 2026Saying Goodbye to Newfoundland—and the Man Who Inspired ArabellaSept 2026Upgrading the Rudder and Another Trek To The CliffAug 2026We're Climbing a Wall No One Has Ever Climbed Before | Rock Climbing on Newfoundland's South CoastJul 2026

From Acorn To Arabella — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analysed video.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.

Report an issue