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
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