Arabella launches
June 25, 2023 3:03 AM Subscribe
In 2016 Steve Dennette decided to fell and mill some trees in Granby, Massachusetts to build a boat in his back yard and 80 miles from the ocean. Plan is sailing that boat round the world. Last Saturday 17 June 2023 Arabella was launched (38m YT) and took her first spin round Mattapoisett harbor [CBS 6 min exec summary] with Dennette at the tiller [for the first time!]. The trees were planted and pruned by Steve's GtGrandfather.
The Acorn to Arabella project - 270 episodes 45m views - depended on camerawork by rock-climbing buddy Alix Dreder; and the contributions of a motley crew. Go diversity!
On the other side of the country in Port Townsend WA, the Tally Ho! [Metaprev] is on track (no longer rudderless since yest 18mYT) but still in the boat-shed.
The Acorn to Arabella project - 270 episodes 45m views - depended on camerawork by rock-climbing buddy Alix Dreder; and the contributions of a motley crew. Go diversity!
On the other side of the country in Port Townsend WA, the Tally Ho! [Metaprev] is on track (no longer rudderless since yest 18mYT) but still in the boat-shed.
I will say though that much as I can't and won't fault Leo, the Tally Ho episodes from before the move into the boatshed are definitely my and my kid's super happy place, wheras the more recent ones feel much more 'here's what we did at work this fortnight'. Still very cool, but not the same intimacy. And we both miss Pete.
Relatedly, if anyone knows of YouTube series that feel like the first couple of years of Tally Ho, in any subject setting, please speak up. Perhaps this should be an askme.
posted by deadwax at 4:06 AM on June 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
Relatedly, if anyone knows of YouTube series that feel like the first couple of years of Tally Ho, in any subject setting, please speak up. Perhaps this should be an askme.
posted by deadwax at 4:06 AM on June 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
Oh neat! My Dad's been following this project via YouTube and it will be fun to talk to him about it when I see him next.
posted by freethefeet at 4:13 AM on June 25, 2023
posted by freethefeet at 4:13 AM on June 25, 2023
I found both of these channels through Lou Sauzedde's Tips from a Shipwright. His series building a work skiff and later a sport dory are great fun. He's currently working on building the boat from Jaws from the keel up - it's slow going but will likely be amazing.
It's been interesting to see the very different approaches from Steve and Leo. While sometimes it can be more satisfying to see the near perfect results from the pros on the Tally Ho project it's still amazing to watch Steve's team get the job done with the wood, tools, and experience they have on hand.
posted by cubby at 7:36 AM on June 25, 2023
It's been interesting to see the very different approaches from Steve and Leo. While sometimes it can be more satisfying to see the near perfect results from the pros on the Tally Ho project it's still amazing to watch Steve's team get the job done with the wood, tools, and experience they have on hand.
posted by cubby at 7:36 AM on June 25, 2023
Do they have to sail the boat around the world?
Building this is a huge accomplishment. Sailing it around Cape Cod would be a huge accomplishment. Sailing it down the Maine coast would be a huge accomplishment. Heck, sailing this into Boston Harbor and looping around all the islands would be a huge accomplishment.
Going around the world is several orders of magnitude more difficult, dangerous, and pointless because someone living in nearby Fairhaven, MA already did it way back in 1891.
Maybe this is just recent events speaking, but can't we just have a cool boat that was built from oak trees planted by someone's grandfather? Isn't that awesome enough? Do they really have to put a hat on top of an already great hat by doing the around-the-world thing?
posted by RonButNotStupid at 7:57 AM on June 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
Building this is a huge accomplishment. Sailing it around Cape Cod would be a huge accomplishment. Sailing it down the Maine coast would be a huge accomplishment. Heck, sailing this into Boston Harbor and looping around all the islands would be a huge accomplishment.
Going around the world is several orders of magnitude more difficult, dangerous, and pointless because someone living in nearby Fairhaven, MA already did it way back in 1891.
Maybe this is just recent events speaking, but can't we just have a cool boat that was built from oak trees planted by someone's grandfather? Isn't that awesome enough? Do they really have to put a hat on top of an already great hat by doing the around-the-world thing?
posted by RonButNotStupid at 7:57 AM on June 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
Just last night I was watching Tally Ho on headphones, with some almost-adults around and had to hide my laughter when we got to the pintle being too tight a fit in the gudgeon.
posted by tigrrrlily at 8:37 AM on June 25, 2023
posted by tigrrrlily at 8:37 AM on June 25, 2023
Ron, I think there's a certain type of viewer who needs the heroic, dangerous undertaking in order to feel OK getting sucked into the story. My preference would be "OK boat is done, we've decided it's a bit too nice to scratch up going around the world, so... thanks for watching, we're just gonna enjoy it from now on"
posted by tigrrrlily at 8:56 AM on June 25, 2023
posted by tigrrrlily at 8:56 AM on June 25, 2023
deadwax: I have Dylan & Julius building an iron-age roundhouse in the same mind-bin as Tally Ho! With Jäger the hound as a surrogate for the TallyHo parrot. D&J were prev on Metafilter and attracted this comment:" I love this. Just put it on today and let it run - the 3 yr old and the 5 yr old are absolutely captivated - especially by the donkey. And now I'm shopping for donkeys".
posted by BobTheScientist at 1:42 PM on June 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by BobTheScientist at 1:42 PM on June 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
I've watched a lot of the Arabella project and all of the Tally Ho project, and one thing about Tally Ho is there are no "corners being cut": It's interesting to see skilled people who don't have to worry too much about how much it costs rebuild a boat.
I do agree that the earlier episodes on TH have something which is missing now. Maybe it was the transition to having a decent budget which changed the tenor, or maybe it's more to do with Leo being a "manager" now rather than the primary laborer on the project. Maybe it's just the lack of Pancho the parrot?
Anyway, good on Steve and co. for finishing their craft, though I still have a few doubts about the hull planking. (It's floating, so what do I know?)
posted by maxwelton at 1:44 PM on June 25, 2023
I do agree that the earlier episodes on TH have something which is missing now. Maybe it was the transition to having a decent budget which changed the tenor, or maybe it's more to do with Leo being a "manager" now rather than the primary laborer on the project. Maybe it's just the lack of Pancho the parrot?
Anyway, good on Steve and co. for finishing their craft, though I still have a few doubts about the hull planking. (It's floating, so what do I know?)
posted by maxwelton at 1:44 PM on June 25, 2023
I haven't seen my father in almost six years on account of COVID + living on the other side of the country, and we live in different enough worlds that it's sometimes hard to find things we both care about to talk about on the phone. Arabella and Tally Ho are one of those things, so while I'm happy to see them launch, I'm sad to see the build coming to an end, and hope we now get some Steve-learning-to-sail content!
posted by Alterscape at 5:43 PM on June 25, 2023
posted by Alterscape at 5:43 PM on June 25, 2023
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posted by deadwax at 3:59 AM on June 25, 2023