Acorn To Arabellavideo
Repairing Rot in the Bowsprit & Snugging Up a Loose Rig
July 11, 2025 · 27 min · 45K views
What this video covers
Rot in the bowsprit of the schooner Arabella requires a structural repair using a Douglas fir graving piece and thickened epoxy. The rot originated in a spruce laminate pocket, likely present before launch, but remained contained by the glue lines between the laminates. After excavating the decayed wood, the repair involves carving a 12-to-1 tapered scarf joint and installing oak cheeks to distribute bolt compression loads.
Separately, the crew replaces the standing rigging’s lacing with heat-set Dyneema to eliminate creep. Previous attempts using standard Amsteel blue Dyneema resulted in persistent rig slack, as the material settled under load. The heat-set line, which undergoes tensioning and heating above 200 degrees Fahrenheit during manufacturing, provides significantly higher dimensional stability. This upgrade is necessary to support a new, large Code Zero sail, which increases the forward load on the mast and requires a rigid forestay to prevent interference. The crew sources specialized Vectran-core line for the sail’s tack and double-braid nylon for the sheets from Rigging Only in Fairhaven.
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