The Crew at A2A
The crew here at Acorn to Arabella is small but mighty. Here’s the roll call:
STEVE
[he/him]
Raised on a small farm in Western Massachusetts, he was surrounded by three older generations. He feels very fortunate to have learned an immense amount from his family, and his love and respect for the natural world was a direct consequence of that upbringing, as is his love of woodworking and drive for self reliance.
Steve attended Unity College in Maine, where he learned that he thrives on adventure. He gained deep experience traversing the wilder parts of our world on his own two feet, or by canoe, kayak, skis, and snowshoes. He has led 28-day wilderness courses, guided rock climbing and mountaineering in Yosemite, patrolled the Appalachian Trail, traveled miles through underground caves, paddled Class IV white water in an open canoe, and kayaked in big seas.
He says that when he’s sedentary, the hotter the fire burns for travel and adventure. Helen Keller said, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” It had been far too long since he’d had a daring adventure; he’s glad to be doing the next big thing by sailing and living aboard the boat he built.
ROBIN
[she/her]
Raised in Mashpee, Massachusetts, Robin’s time on the water has mostly been aboard her dad’s sport fishing boat. She and Steve started seeing each other a few years back after discovering that they had a great deal in common—sure, she had loose plans to travel to challenging climbing locations in a camper van, so how different could a boat be?
She owns a successful marketing company, and has years of sobriety under her belt that she’s very proud of. She’s a mom, a big laugher, a great cook, a loving partner, a natural videographer, and very, very fit. Robin is a big-time climber, and will travel just about every month of the year to destinations domestic and international to climb famous walls with all the friends she’s made in the climbing community.
BEN
[he/him]
Ben edits our videos, finds the story in the footage we send him, writes all of Acorn to Arabella’s incidental music, and is also tasked with nailing down exactly what Steve’s job description is every week. We have absolutely no idea what we’d do without this thoughtful and skilled person in our lives.
He and his family own a beautiful independent theater in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and they hope you come to support them.
ANNIE B
[she/her]
Anne Bryant is a sailor, storyteller, technical writer, videographer, organizer, communicator, and a tugboat in human form. She’s loud. She’s totally with KP on the whole raisin thing. Yes please, she’d like a seltzer. OF COURSE she wants a beer. Thank you. See more of what she’s done here.
AKIVA
[he/him]
I am a West Siberian Laika who originally hails from just outside of Oslo, Norway. When I was a puppy I was terribly behaved and my mom nipped off the last 1/3 of my tail, which is how I ended up in the USA living with Steve. The man I was supposed to live with in Norway did not want a disfigured dog; Steve did not care so I went to live with him.
I am happiest when I am with my human, in the mountains, on a river, or flopped down by the wood stove. So long as Steve is nearby I am content. My favorite activity is chasing furry woodland creatures! I danced with my first moose when I was 10 months old and boogied with my first bear when I was two. I have fought coyotes and gone into caves to battle raccoons. I am pretty fearless, except for when the vacuum cleaner attacks. That machine is terrifying! IT YELLS AS IT EATS!
I am excited to be on Arabella! The dinghy is my favorite, and I like to hang out in there even all by myself. Catching flying fish as they jump over the boat at night sounds fun; as does barking at dolphins. I love being with my human pretty much 24/7 and marking up the beautiful wood decks with my nails is as fun as I thought it’d be.
Past Crew
KP
[they/them]
KP, who was a boat carpenter for Acorn to Arabella, sauntered down the Camden, Maine, docks in early summer, 2000, and was struck with awe. After a serendipitous introduction to Capt. Barry King, they were welcomed aboard as a mess mate that summer aboard schooner Mary Day, and crewed again in 2002 and 2004.
Inspired to build, they became an apprentice boatbuilder at Carpenter's Boatshop in Pemaquid, Maine, until 2005. Since then, they've earned a 100-ton license by delivering boats on the eastern U.S. coast and abroad, done rigging, restorations, new builds, finish work, and plenty of sailing.
KP can be found here at their new channel!
