Acorn To Arabella · video

What this video covers

Steve and crew move the 38-ft wooden sailboat Arabella from Gloucester, Massachusetts, to Cape Porpoise, Maine, and then toward Portland, Maine.0:22 The transit involves significant motoring due to light winds and head-on conditions.4:09 The diesel engine and alternator system perform reliably, though the Wakespeed regulator occasionally requires a manual reset to initialize the tachometer and battery monitoring.15:06

The crew refines a mechanical system for lifting the dinghy onto the deck using a micro traction pulley, a friction hitch on the shrouds, and a trucker’s hitch to provide mechanical advantage.10:44 The anchor windlass operates on a friction-clutch mechanism that requires manual adjustment of the chain wrap and clutch band to engage or release the chain.16:53 While anchored in Cape Porpoise, the crew prepares for a short stay in Portland before securing the boat in Freeport to address a family emergency.20:25 During the final leg, they observe a NOAA vessel recovering an entangled humpback whale near Cape Elizabeth.20:47

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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