Building and Fitting Arabella’s Final Deck Beams

Spring has finally sprung in the Acorn to Arabella boathouse and exciting things are happening. The Arabella crew adds a new member to the team- meet KP! KP comes to Acorn to Arabella with both sailing and carpentry experience, along with a 100-ton captain’s license! KP hasn’t worked in boat building full time for a while, but after being in the boathouse for a few weeks now, they are finally getting their groove back!

Today’s episode features KP’s first major task: to make the final three deck beams up forward. After Steve and KP handpick the locust they will be using for the beams, KP gets to work tracing, measuring, and cutting out the beams. After some trial and error, KP gets the beams dry fit before preparing them for a sealer coat.

First, KP sands the beams and wipes them down with denatured alcohol to remove any sanding residue. KP then uses our Wood Sealer Varnish Primer on the beams. This one-part clear gloss wood sealer fills wood grain and seals the fibers against moisture and sun damage, making it the perfect first coats on the thirsty beams. KP applies it using the roll & tip method where they roll a thin layer of the sealer with a 4-inch foam roller, then quickly follow behind with a foam brush to remove any roller stipple and smooth out the surface. After all their hard work, their first major task on Arabella is completed as we watch her bolt down the final three deck beams to this beautiful wooden boat.

As progress on Arbella continues, they are already scouting out launch sites. Ideally, they want to launch somewhere between CT and ME. Our vote is here in the Ocean State itself, Rhode Island! 🌊 Drop your ideal launch sites in the comments below and we’ll make sure Steve, Annie, and KP read your recommendations. Thanks for watching.

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