Acorn To Arabella · video

What this video covers

Arabella, a cruising sailboat, completes a passage from Key West to the Dry Tortugas.6:46 While anchored at Garden Key, the crew explores local snorkeling sites, including Africa Reef and Loggerhead Key, using their dinghy, Victoria.8:29 During the stay, the crew reactivates their Spectra water maker after a period of storage.16:59 The process involves replacing the charcoal and pre-filters, flushing the system with seawater for one hour to remove storage chemicals, and verifying the output salinity remains below 500 parts per million.17:43

Separately, the owner attempts to install a Garmin Reactor 40 autopilot system.22:21 The project requires integrating a Pelagic power arm and a rudder feedback sensor because the standard Garmin tiller arm requires below-deck mounting, which the boat’s layout prohibits.23:04 The owner struggles to find a suitable mounting position for the actuator that provides the necessary 10 inches of stroke without obstructing the cockpit.23:24 The installation remains incomplete, and the owner considers a wind vane as an alternative or backup steering solution for future offshore passages.24:42

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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