Acorn To Arabella · video

What this video covers

Steve and Robin sail the home-built wooden boat Arabella from Norwalk, Connecticut, to Glen Cove, Long Island, then through New York City via the East River on a near-December holiday weekend.0:03 The primary navigation concern is Hell Gate, where the East River current runs up to five knots — matching Arabella's hull speed — so they time departure from Glen Cove for an early morning start to arrive at Hell Gate at high tide with a fair current.0:51 AIS helps monitor commercial traffic, including barges and tankers that overtake them throughout the passage.1:20 Robin sees the Statue of Liberty for the first time; both describe the Manhattan skyline reveal after rounding Hell Gate as the highlight of the trip.12:16 Past the Narrows, Steve raises sail and reaches the evening anchorage without the motor.12:56 At anchor, the diesel heater fails to restart after running out of fuel: the inline fuel filter, never replaced since the heater was installed, is clogged with debris.13:56 Steve cleans the filter and the metering port, restores fuel flow, and relights the heater.18:01 The filter needs replacement soon.18:50 Tidal timing through Hell Gate is critical for a slow displacement boat; an inline diesel heater fuel filter should be inspected and replaced regularly, not only when the heater fails.

More from Acorn To Arabella

We Stripped Our Wooden Sailboat Back to Bare Wood... AgainOct 2026Saying Goodbye to Newfoundland—and the Man Who Inspired ArabellaSep 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

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