A Boat in the Woodsvideo
I Spent 18 Months Alone in the Woods Working on an Old Sailboat Off-Grid
November 15, 2025 · 1h 26m · 2.0M views
What this video covers
Joshua, a former carpenter, spent 18 months living off-grid in southern Nova Scotia to restore a 1966 wooden sailboat built in Yokohama, Japan.0:04 The 20,000-pound vessel, designed by Hugh Engelman, features mahogany and teak construction with a marinized 1.6-liter Volkswagen diesel engine.1:21 After purchasing the boat for $5,000, he paid $2,000 to transport it via a hydraulic trailer to a friend’s land.1:26:31 He initially lived in a tent on the boat's deck before constructing a 14-by-16-foot prospector’s tent for shelter.5:36 He built a gothic-arch frame over the boat using birch poles and tarps, though Hurricane Melissa damaged the structure.19:46 During the restoration, he stripped toxic bottom paint using infrared heaters and chemical strippers, removed the cabin top, and gutted the interior teak furnishings.24:35 He also converted an abandoned boiler room into a workshop with a custom miter saw station and workbench.57:46 The project remains ongoing as he prepares to overhaul the engine and replace structural timbers.1:24:37
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