A Skylight and the Saloon Table - Episode 255 - Acorn to Arabella: Journey of a Wooden Boat

A little slip of a computer key makes it so Friday's video is live a day early. Enjoy!
Life aboard a sailboat revolves around the saloon table, and this week Steve makes progress on a tilting version of one while our new crew member, Scott, builds the cover for the fore hatch. If you look closely, there are a lot of types of joinery in the shop this week, and there are a great many carpentry approaches that could be taken for everything we build. Scott, our new crew member cut his first dovetails here in the shop.
The navigation station for the cockpit comes a little closer to done as well, and a slew of warmer days means we can remove the large plastic tent to see, for the first time, the cabin house fully faired and with port lights installed!
The countdown to launching this DIY wooden sailboat is clicking by, and we're glad you're here on the journey with us!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sign up for our email newsletter: eepurl.com/hn3Qyv
Acorn to Arabella is a wooden boat building project taking place in Granby, Massachusetts. Steve started as an amateur wooden boat builder building a 38' wooden sailboat in his backyard: designer William Atkin's Ingrid with a Stormy Petrel's gaff rig. These videos follow the journey from tree felling, to lumber milling, to lofting, to the lead keel pour and beyond-sharing details of the woodworking, carpentry, metal smithing, tool building, and tool maintenance that classic wooden boats command. This ultimate DIY boatbuilding project will continue well past launch, when he and the crew will travel and learn to cruise aboard the handmade wooden boat that they've built. Just kidding about all that, this channel is about a Siberian Laika named Akiva.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you are interested in supporting/helping here are a few ways:
www.acorntoara...
Acorn to Arabella's wishlist:
www.acorntoara...
TotalBoat supports A2A! Please consider using our Total Boat referral code. Click here, then shop: www.totalboat.... They'll kick 10% our way!
To offer recurring support via Patreon, CLICK BELOW. Just $5 a month gets you an invite to our monthly patron-only livestream Q&A sessions!
/ acorntoarabella
Original Soundtrack available at benfundis.bandcamp.com
FOLLOW US:
Patreon: / acorntoarabella
Instagram: / acorntoarabella
Facebook: / acorntoarabella
Website: www.acorntoarab...

[@ClimateDude]

Guys you shouldn't scare me like this. Waking up and seeing the notification, I thought it was Friday already for a very confused moment. Happy Arabella Day to all regardless :D

[@ShipHappensUK]

Me to!!! But a pleasant surprise!

[@rick881]

@@ShipHappensUK Big time. Me as well. Was confused for a while.

[@AlexandreChampagnat]

Yeah I thought I’d missed my dentist appointment! 😂 Nice to get some early updates as well as seeing you’re finally getting some help!! Great work guys!

[@maruxfmm1407]

Same 😂😂😂

[@brandonsabin1471]

SAME!

[@davidc6510]

What a great episode. Scott is a seriously talented craftsman & shipwright. Thanks for sharing

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks, David!

[@marvinmartinsYT]

6 years? My goodness. This is by far the most episodes of any show I’ve watched. Time fly’s they say.

[@DrRusty5]

I'm trying to think where Steve was at when I started watching, but I remember seeing, lifting floor and the keel being poured so it was near the start... is it really seven years!

[@ZigZagMarquis]

Wow! 6 years! Hopefully there are many more years of Acorn to Arabella episodes to come. Mostly of Steve's sailing adventures. By comparison, Gunsmoke was on TV for 20 years and as a radio show many years before and lived on in made for TV movies there after. Here's to hopes that Steve & Acorn to Arabella surpasses that!

[@onnayoung7699]

Every boat needs a reaching magnet just to fetch stuff out of the bilge was for sure one thing i got from my grandpa.

[@pathallinan3920]

Been a long time now, hats off to Steve and he's team, to

[@jannepeltonen2036]

Scott seems like a good addition to the crew!

[@RazDaz74]

Scott is a GREAT addition! He is def highly skilled 💪👍💯 and seems like a really nice guy.

[@MikeAG333]

How on earth can you tell after just this episode? One chunky dovetail isn't enough information....and having his hand in front of the chisel (19.43) is not just incredibly poor practice, but it shows lack of experience.

[@dansbrown1313]

@@MikeAG333 Scott is a tradesman with very good skills. Perhaps if he was a novice, it could be considered dangerouse, but with 20+ years of hands on experience, he still has all his fingers! What I saw him doing today was cabinet making and is skill intensive. So welcome to Steve's team Scott!

[@MikeAG333]

@@dansbrown1313 No one doubts the claim that he was cabinet making. There was a claim, though, that he was highly skilled. He might well be, but 30 seconds of him working in a video is not enough to form that judgement yet. And you stating "with very good skills" is just another baseless claim. My comment is not a reflection on Scott, who may well be skilled, but on those who rush to fan-boy instant judgement.

[@asakurad]

@@MikeAG333 Compared to the finish work on Tally Ho, say, the dovetail does seem rough and ready. What we can't tell, though, is how fast Scott is working. That said, the hand in front of the chisel gave me the willies, too.

[@stephenoosterveld852]

Today isn't Friday? Awesome

[@charlestosi5199]

Always amazed at the fine workmanship. I also would like to praise the quality of the videography. Thanks all for the enjoyment you spread to the four corners.

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks, Charles!

[@jimsummers2574]

Including the naration

[@RobertFay]

*- Keep on, Keepin' ON, Steve and everyone.*

[@AcornToArabella]

Happy Friday, Robert!

[@1911wood]

Another option for the skylight would be to make it with a single bent piece of acrylic or polycarbonate for greater impact resistance. The acrylic can be bent with an easily fabricated resistance wire strip heater. Polycarbonate can be bent on a press brake. This would allow you to eliminate the ridge support and cap. The frame can be used as the bending fixture for the acrylic for a perfect fit.

[@hanssolo4ever]

Put a band of brass or bronze around the lip of the table that serve as an edge and it will protect the wood from chipping and stuff falling of the table if you raise the edge up 3/4" , and do a cutout in the corners in the bronze piece so you can sweep dirt of the table.

[@rick91443]

Thought we might get a "double header" this week; waiting for lunch. Happy Friday anyway(enjoyed the video yesterday and your new hand seems super qualified.) cheers...richard

[@SootHead]

How odd! This morning I inexplicably decided to put on my A-to-A t-shirt. I checked my youtube feeds as I sipped a large cup of gunpowder green tea and....

[@AcornToArabella]

Everyone can blame Jim. 😊🙌😁-Anne

[@aaronallen4647]

Yup all your fault!!!

[@firefighterfarmer]

I got really excited that it was Friday... sadly not the case but still happy for a vod from my favorite boat builders. Cheers all and good deal with all the awesome help that has arrived.

[@Fambamm-ib6pw]

Nice to wake up to a unexpected early video of my favorite KZbin channel 😀

[@MrTada98]

Seems like someone forgot to set the delayed publication. Love it!

[@muchmorecoffee]

Maybe someone pressed the button a day early by mistake, or better yet, we get another tomorrow because we have been very very good and deserve the bonus? Great work and welcome to the new crew members. I can smell the cherry from here in Eastham! Cheers, Toby

[@AcornToArabella]

The upload defaults on KZbin got the better of us! Happy Friday anyhow, Toby hahah

[@sportflyer]

We miss you, KP. Get better soon 😊

[@thomaslemay8817]

Never laugh when anyone says, "I hope it stays afloat" I worked at a local lake , I have 👀 seen several new boats go to the bottom because of a small oversight during construction or launch preparation. I will say it is a very good idea to go aboard the boat and look for water coming in while it is still supported and easily pulled back out of the water ! I have seen some that sank when the engine was started the first time. 😳

[@AcornToArabella]

Yup, that’s part of the plan!

[@davidmurn772]

I was on a boat that had propshaft work done on it when we re-launched. I had the crew check the bilges when we launched and they were dry, but upon engaging reverse, the crew saw water entering through the stern gland and I was fortunate enough to only be about 2 boat lengths away when we saw it. Needless to say, the boat yard was not happy when I put the boat back on the slip, as they had another customer arriving soon after, who had to be turned away.

[@ScooterMLS1960]

Maybe a wood burned label on that knot is in order … like “Fred Wilson Knot” 😀

[@deeparks3112]

Scott did a fine job on the deckhouse skylight, welcome aboard sir. Progress every day, good to see - Forward!

[@MrMichaelcurran]

Steve glad to see new help. Sorry to see ya got knee trouble. Maybe the help can take up some of the slack for you.

[@AcornToArabella]

They’ve been great and Steve has barely needed to slow down. Good times. 🙌

[@erictakakjian6021]

Really like the salon table!!

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks, Eric!

[@h2energynow]

What an amazing team now working on this ship. So much attention to detail. photography so good you can almost smell the wood being shaped.

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks, Sonya!

[@michaelkelley6158]

It sure made my day having this unexpected surprise today. Thank you. Welcome Scott! And now that I am doing the math, if it is 127 days until launch, that is just 18 more weekly episodes. I am loving this. Thank you.

[@AcornToArabella]

Thank YOU Michael!

[@guillermoprambs4784]

7 años, un suspiro...

[@seangeiger974]

I had to check the day quick lol its Salt and Tar day, whew

[@TotalBoat]

Countdown is on!

[@AcornToArabella]

🙌

[@claudehopper9813]

My father had a cartoon taped his toolbox of a farmer plowing a large field the caption read " Of course I know what i'm doing that's why it's taking so long " . Great video again showing the team working toward a final goal .. launching Arabella an epic story .

[@AcornToArabella]

Hahaha cute

[@randolphfriend8260]

💙 SO glad you sanded that table top. With its sanded surface as a backdrop, I was able to see all the tiny dust particles on my screen. Thank you. 😁

[@AcornToArabella]

Hahahaah

[@stevencarpenter8841]

As always, entertaining and informative video. Great progress and love Scott's work. Hope KP is continuing to heal and will be back in the boat house soon. I also missed Ben's music in this video.

[@myfatboy1234]

Outstanding!

[@AcornToArabella]

🎉🙌

[@rick91443]

Happy Thursday....Found this on my phone so.....taking a coffee break mid afternoon to watch! cheers...rr Normandy, Fra.

[@AcornToArabella]

😊

[@philparmenter53]

An unexpected bonus, just means longer to wait between this and the next episode.Greeting from Plymouth UK

[@williamkhatchell620]

Looking good!

[@SootHead]

A tip. How about taking the countdown tags and selling or using them as spiffs? Get the crew to sign them as well.

[@AcornToArabella]

I send them out with thank you letters and big merch orders. -Anne

[@SootHead]

@@AcornToArabella I just see them wadded up regularly, as in this episode.

[@AcornToArabella]

And I carefully “unwad” them, as everyone knows to save them for me.

[@DrDaveSalisburyPhDMBA]

Glad to see I wasn’t the only one needing to check my calendar. Phew! Speedy recovery!

[@williamschmidt8944]

That table is a work of art and highly functional for the space. Great job Steve! We miss you KP, get well soon!

[@JenkinsBoatWorks]

Nice work!

[@badcat4707]

Good morning Akiva and Crew 😸😺 seeing the thumbnail a day early ? made me think that the Time Continuum had broken 😹😸😺

[@budschermerhorn6062]

Good Morning from Sandwich, MA

[@AcornToArabella]

Happy Friday, Bud!

[@adamkarcz8644]

As someone who works in the video industry, I really appreciated the transition at 4:30. As always, I love the content.

[@AcornToArabella]

Cheers, Adam!

[@kandk920]

Love Scott’s hoodie and hat! 🍻

[@caseylevy7310]

Great editing.... great story telling.... great job Ben!!!

[@alanbromfield1387]

Oh wow. Love Scott’s narration/commentary. It’s like Mr Robot joined the team. 😉

[@krockpotbroccoli65]

I'm finally caught up! Been binging the entire 7 or so years worth of content over the past month. My family and I are planning on attending the launch. Mattapoisett is only about an hour and a half from us on the cape. Watching amateur shipwrights construct a nearly 40 foot double masted ship from local timber has convinced me that I should have absolutely no problem building a much smaller and far simpler vessel. Just gotta see what the building dept says when I submit the plans for the boathouse. Should be fun. CHEERS!

[@Johnny-Too-Bad]

There's a first time for everything. Thanks for the Thursday pickmeup.

[@OleNavy]

Is hull fairing and caulking going to start with the arrival of new help? A lot of work to be done there for sure! Everything is looking great!!!

[@AcornToArabella]

A little while yet, we’re waiting for the humidity to come up.

[@thomasfreiesleben]

Baha, me too. Thought I missed my flight!

[@Rennrogue]

Glad for the timing of this video. Fridays are normally perfect, but I put my back out yesterday and this was a pleasant surprise. It doesn't stop the pain, but my mind is happy. I love the table design!!

[@AcornToArabella]

Glad it worked out for you!

[@rolandtb3]

Moving along. Well edited. Great introduction to new help. Work showcased: pivoting table, dbl. pivot forward hatch cover, cockpit instrument box and durad box. Removing overhead plastic, boat deck cleanup, hide and seek: looking for dropped tools, scraps, nuts & bolts in the enginge bilge. Not shown but mentioned was work in the head. Sure as the temperature warms up, components installed and painted, Arabella is coming together. Plus more help soon.

[@brianbennett1244]

Like seeing the new craftsmen - this is going well. Keep it up!!!

[@gritz1701]

Dang, woke up and thought it was Friday. This week just got a little better. Thanks for the vid!

[@AcornToArabella]

😉😁

[@Allthough]

There for a hot moment, I thought that was a Hello Internet hoodie :D

[@kalahariskydive]

What a nice surprise on a Thursday!

[@darrensimpson6555]

Yeah. Posting early ?? I thought it was the weekend already. I'm rebuilding myv18' pocket cruiser. Time effort and money are bad enough here, let alone Arabella's size. Proud and impressed to be following you. Wife inside watching ' married at 1st site' all in all, my favourite watch Steve, Anne and Ben. Inspires real people to do real things..... Motivates me to go hard for another 6weeks for a 3 week coastal cruise and a total solar eclipse to top it off ... I wish I had your energy and skills and time, value it all..... cheers !

[@AcornToArabella]

Cool project! Keep it up!

[@MrJohnBos]

She is coming together nicely.

[@JohnMason-Hill]

I’ve come to loathe the end credits as I wish the video would go on forever 😊

[@AcornToArabella]

Aww. 😊

[@wainair]

I love seeing the progress! You are in the fiddley bits now and that takes time! My Little Dippy that I am restoring looks like a launch compared to Arabella. I hope KP can rejoin your efforts soon! I hope she’s 24:12 feeling better.

[@wainair]

Oh and I hope you can find a place to include and highlight the branch your great grandfather pruned! That’s amazing to find that and to be able to recognize it! ❤

[@johnlinehan9053]

Reminds me of a table we had in high school drafting class.👏👏

[@SimonCurlis]

Tremendous work guys, from Melbourne Australia , I can feel the acceleration and tension as you charge to get things done. Anne and Ben, I am really enjoying all the nudges in your craft, the planning and sound mixing are compelling and adding such beautiful texture to the narrative. I do feel there was a lost opportunity for a peg leg joke, Take care Steve on your recovery.

[@sjlarue1]

I freaked out! I thought it was Friday. 🤣

[@jryan3906]

Welcome Scott! And Steve, I'm glad you're knee injury is not serious. Please restrict any future skiing experiences to virtual reality gaming! We want you healthy and flexible for the launch! 🙂 Cheers.

[@joebrown1382]

Very nice finish carpentry.

[@AcornToArabella]

Thank you, Joe!

[@Privateuser27]

Did not know it’s Friday already, something feels off😂 Happy to get an early video!

[@frankboyd7993]

Wow, I thought I missed a day somehow. Happy Thursday!

[@AcornToArabella]

Happy Thursday 😁🎉

[@gregoryschmidt1233]

It's joinery week!

[@AcornToArabella]

Sure is! 🙌

[@jonasmichaelmoir9378]

Nice addition to the team.!) Scott rocks!)

[@AcornToArabella]

🙌we’re grateful, Jonas!

[@fordfan3179]

Great to see things moving along.

[@kevinhall2266]

Welcome aboard Scott! Hopefully calm waters ahead.

[@nfisheremti]

Great work as always. Heal fast and well Steve. Can't wait till launch!

[@SteveeCee]

Good morning from England (not the new one 😁)

[@AcornToArabella]

😊

[@dalehatton6965]

Wow has it really been 7 years? 😳 I too have been watching since close to the very start, I was searching for "tree falling on house" and come across Acorn to Arabella and have been watching ever since. And I still have a little bit of Arabella, one of the copper rivets that were removed with the broken planks!

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks for your support!

[@vossitch]

Don't worry everyone, it is Friday! But I'm sitting here going I normally watch this Saturday morning! Now I still have to work all day Friday 😒 Great video as usual team, love seeing some of the new jobs happening and being finished

[@AcornToArabella]

🙌

[@anthonymiller8989]

Tony & Susan here, Time is short , much to do. Praying for busy hands and mom.

[@johnnunn8688]

Really good ep, thanks 🙏.

[@AcornToArabella]

Cheers, John!

[@kathywrightjohnson6804]

Try a big magnet on a stick or string to retrieve the socket from under the motor. Us monkeys use tools. Why did you post today instead of tomorrow? Not that I'm complaining! I absolutely love the table you built Steve. You thought of everything!

[@AcornToArabella]

Just a lil mistake.

[@kathywrightjohnson6804]

Still praying for your mom and KP. Get well soon!

[@jimmyjimjimmyjimjimjimjim4437]

Crunch time!! I've been working on my 1 year boat project for 3 years now. In my own defense, I only spend about 6 months per year on it. So, theoretically I'm only half a year behind. My biggest problem is that every single thing I do has to be researched and then researched again. All of the parts I buy take forever to find for some reason. I spent 2 hours just finding a local source of 316 SS cotter pins. And of course, nothing is square so everything is cut a bit, try the fit and cut a bit more, over and over again. Love your vid's. Can't wait to see it in the water!

[@AcornToArabella]

The planning is a huge part!

[@PBarrPrince]

I was surprised/pleased to see you last night although I miss Friday morning's routine. Excellent episode. And excellent job on that table, Steve! I'll be checking Instagram and Facebook for pics! 😊 Great job everybody (I'm sorry, can't remember names)! Arabella is coming together at lightning speed! It's so exciting to see all the projects going! Y'all keep up the beautiful work. Have a great weekend and week and see you again soon. ⛵❤

[@AcornToArabella]

Happy Friday, Patty!

[@moejaime2654]

Love the story about your grandpa !! History is in our trees and also our nation's wealth . I was happy to plant a tree in your area although I could not meet you and ask you if I could plant it on your land . Blessings to Acorn to Arabella !

[@MidnightAmratha]

remember you can bend acrylic with a glasstube that holds a glowstring, that way you will avoid glue-seams that is inherently fragile.

[@juanaq]

yes, but i guess that if one of the flat smaller acrilic panels cracks or gets scratched, replacing it would be easier and cheaper than replacing a bigger bended one. and if they leak, a new glue seam is really easy to fix. those panels seem pretty resilient, though.

[@johnnunn8688]

I lovetails dovetail s and boat-tales.

[@RicktheRecorder]

Beautiful workmanship, great progress, clever design, exemplary film-making. However I remain concerned, as the topsides detailing gets decided upon and executed, that Arabella will not be an ocean-going vessel, but more a boat for pleasant cruising in sheltered waters. The design of the coachroof and forehatch are not directed towards resisting the forces of heavy seas. Having been through a hurricane in a wooden yacht of about this size, I know what would give me confidence and what makes me nervous. You need to imagine the boat being picked up, inverted, and dropped into the sea from about 30 feet, more than once, to get a feel for what can happen. You could read Miles Smeaton's 'Once is Enough' to get an idea.

[@RappinIggyG]

That's a great read!

[@SailorDon]

I agree. That acrylic hatch cover doesn't seem up to a large wave crashing down on it; too much unsupported acrylic.

[@whitneylake2107]

More beautiful stuff !

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks, Whitney!

[@moonstarer55]

I had to check what day it was as well as just now each day seems the same. We are both hemmed up due to my wife testing positive for covid. Naturally I have it too. Each day blending into every other day. So I really thought it was Friday when I saw the notification. Great video showing great work. Please be safe guys n gals.

[@AcornToArabella]

Hope you’re feeling ok, and thanks for watching!

[@moonstarer55]

@@AcornToArabella yes it’s like a heavy head cold. I’m made of sterner stuff. Love the videos

[@CharlesHopkins]

The gentleman in the shot on the right side of the video at 18:28 ( sorry I'm unsure of his name ( David ? ) ) looks a lot like Saul Rubinek from Warehouse 13. 🙂 Another great video in the books, all. Keep on keeping on! -- Chaz from Waterford VA

[@lennywintfeld924]

I used glazing polycabonate (comes with scratch resistant / uv resistant overlay) on my boat. It went close to 2 decades and still looked great when I sold the boat. It's a lot stronger than acrylic too. Just costs more. I think you would be happier with the polycarbonate.

[@AcornToArabella]

I’ve been very happy with acrylic on my boat(s), and everyone likes what they’ve got as long as they’ve had a good experience eh? Thanks for sharing yours! -Anne

[@chadshumaker2789]

I had to check was day it was. I thought "holy crap I have missed an entire day this week!!!"

[@tvh300]

I just checked my calendar!

[@AcornToArabella]

Sorry about that! Hahah next Friday it’ll be… Friday. Hahha

[@freesk8]

Nice work, folks! :)

[@AcornToArabella]

🙌

[@casterman2]

Scott great work!!

[@AcornToArabella]

🙌

[@davidgeorge7312]

Nice suprise to wake up to an unexpected video! What a sad day it will be for me when they actually finish the boat lol

[@AcornToArabella]

Keep watching while we sail and continue making the interior everything we need!

[@melshea2276]

Good Morning Granby!⛵️👍✌️

[@AcornToArabella]

Hey hey! Good morning! ☕️

[@AndrexT]

I was Soooo confused, checks computer, checks calendar, thinks didn't I just go shopping today on a Thursday, or did I go Friday, No, there is a snow storm coming Friday 😁🤣

[@AcornToArabella]

😁sorry to confuse, Andrew!

[@johnnunn8688]

My dad was one of those people that could do anything, if he put his mind to it. I SO wish he was still alive so he could watch this, as I know he would have loved it. Well, maybe he is watching it, who knows?

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks for sharing the memory of your dad!

[@clarencehopkins7832]

Excellent stuff bro

[@oxman0313]

I had to check and see if it was friday lol

[@rodneywroten2994]

looking great guys

[@AcornToArabella]

🙌

[@markweiss6222]

We all hope so too