When Fred Wilson planted spruce trees on his farm in western Massachusetts, he likely did not picture what would become of them. Decades later, a particularly robust specimen was crafted into the main mast for a 38-foot sailboat handmade by his great grandson whose journey has made him an internet celebrity.

In November, Stephen Denette docked Arabella at Barters Island before heading south, hosted by local sailing enthusiast Peter Neidhardt. Denette powered up a small generator and set up a mobile shop on the dock as he made repairs with the help of two team members. They worked on varnish, rigging, wiring and a few other repairs to the two-masted vessel. Denette said he has come a long way since he started, with no boatbuilding or sailing experience.  

He described the idea to build a boat as a tickle in the back of his brain, but it wasn't until he was in his 30s that he pursued it. When Denette was a kid, he was fascinated with wooden boats off the coast of Hermit Island, where his family would vacation. Later, on a family trip to Cape Cod, he picked up a book on wooden boat plans and couldn't put it down.  

“I just kept reading and reading and reading,” he said. “Then in 2015, I turned 30 and sat down and did some life reflection and decided that I wanted to build a boat, and I wanted to go cruise and adventure.” 

Rather than buy a boat or a kit, he began working on Arabella using mostly wood from his family’s property, much of it planted by his ancestors. From harvesting and milling lumber to smelting metal for a 9,500-pound keel, he and a small team built the boat and documented it on YouTube. Denette’s channel has earned a strong fanbase with over 170,000 followers, and has helped fund the project.  

Denette said one of the most rewarding things about the experience has been the people he met through it. About a year and a half before launch, his mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He was torn. “I had this really big pull of wanting to be there for her and be a part of that whole process. But at the same time, I really wanted to finish the boat and really wanted to have my mom see me complete that, and for her to be at launch,” he said.  

He told his YouTube channel what was going on, and money and support poured in. He gathered enough funds to hire six full-time workers, and finished the boat when his mother was in decent health. In 2023, on the docks of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, the Arabella launched to cheers from a crowd of supporters.  

“That's been really amazing. I never imagined in a million years that it would become quite that. And the number of people who've reached out over the years, and following this endeavor has helped them in some way, shape, or form in their lives. That's been really mind-boggling. I never imagined that,” he said.  

Now, with more sailing experience under his belt, Denette said Arabella turned out to be a success. He chose a design that would be simple, seaworthy and sturdy: a William Atkin-designed, 38-foot ketch patterned after classic Norwegian lifeboats. “Their whole motto was individualized plans for unregimented yachtsmen. And I'm surely unregimented."

Denette has sailed the boat from Massachusetts to Maine, and it was most recently in Rockland before coming to Boothbay. He said he and his partner, Robin, are avid mountain bikers, rock climbers, and outdoor enthusiasts. So, they try to stop where there are activities for them. He plans to head to Massachusetts next before a winter trip to Puerto Rico and preparing for a voyage to Newfoundland in the summer.  

To learn more about Arabella and its journey, visit Youtube.com/@AcornToArabella