Acorn to Arabella

Alix Kreder and Stephen Denette’s dream began with the idea to build Arabella, a 38-foot, William Atkins-designed sailboat, in Denette’s western Massachusetts backyard. They set out to use trees from the surrounding property, and with a goal of sourcing as many materials as they could locally, relying on salvaged lead from old boats for Arabella’s keel. Today, the pair have more than 95,000 followers on their YouTube channel, “Acorn to Arabella,” where they document the project, which is now their full-time work. ­­

Salty Reads

A Slice of Paradise

Deep Water Blues was inspired by a true story. Bobby Little, who once was a master chef, skateboarding champion and undercover DEA agent, erects his own version of paradise on Rum Cay in the Bahamas. His bustling marina and bar attracts sportfishing crews, but then, an outsider moves in, creating a bloody mayhem. Deep Water Blues is written by Fred Waitzkin, who also wrote about his son, chess champion Joshua Waitzkin, in Searching for Bobby Fischer. The new book is filled with adventure, mystery, greed and corruption. ($18, Open Road Media)

Back in the Day

From Rockaway Point to Montauk Point, the waterways of Long Island, New York, are steeped in more than 500 years of maritime history. Reminders are everywhere, including the wrecks of whaling and fishing ships. Their stories are in Bill Bleyer’s book Long Island and the Sea: A Maritime History. The book takes a deep dive into the area’s nautical lore. You’ll learn about the Native Americans who plied the waterways in handmade craft, the naval skirmishes during the American Revolution, and events that occured during World War II. ($16, The History Press)

Iconic Watercraft

To some, they look like ordinary wooden canoes, but to others, they are the height of design and craftsmanship. In the mid-1800s, people who wanted to explore northeast New York’s waterways developed guide boats. The Adirondack Guideboat: Its Origin, Its Builders, and Their Boats by Stephen B. Sulavik is an illustrated reference tome about these gorgeous, stately boats. ($40, Bauhan Publishing)

The Maritime History Podcast

Have you ever heard about Harappa or the Erythraean Sea and their connection to the maritime world? Neither had we, until we listened to “The Maritime History Podcast.” Hosted by Brandon Huebner, the series takes a chronological look at maritime history, starting with the ancients. Episodes focus on trade, exploration, boatbuilding and shipbuilding, economics, and the relationship between the ocean and the development of society. maritimehistorypodcast.com

This article originally appeared in the June 2019 issue.