Off Grid Island Build: Three Days to Get the Sawmill Off the Barge

MY WILD HOLM S4 Ep12 — Off Grid Island Build: It Took 3 Days to Get the Sawmill Off the Barge 🪵🚤

We knew loading the sawmill straight from the trailer onto the barge would create challenges later. But it was the only safe way to do it ⚠️.

Off grid living requires adaptability... the mill deck extends well beyond its running gear, and trying to angle it down the trailer ramps and back up the barge ramps would have damaged it. A straight transfer avoided that risk, even though it meant the mill would sit back-to-front on the barge, with the hitch at the stern and the rolling gear toward the bow.

Once we reached the island, the plan was to use Pepper’s boom lift to pick the entire sawmill up and carry it off to it's final home.🚜 What we couldn’t fully account for were the difficult shoreline angles, limited approach room, and how those factors would restrict what the boom lift could safely do 🌊.

Once that option proved unsafe, the work became slower and more deliberate. We paid close attention to how the mill behaved, how the barge sat, and what the shoreline would allow. Tools were changed, positions were adjusted, and there were moments where the safest decision was to stop and reassess before moving again 🧭.

Nothing about this was rushed. It was careful, reactive work shaped by real conditions. And when the sawmill finally rolled clear of the barge and onto Bird Island, it marked the end of three days of steady problem-solving — and the beginning of the next phase of this off grid build.🌲💚

CHAPTERS
00:00 – Introduction
How the transfer onto the barge shaped everything that followed.
04:58 – How are we going to do this?
We start the process of unloading the sawmill...
07:30 – Every Sawmill Needs... Pool Noodles
We do what we can to protect our gear.
13:15 – Melodi goes ALL IN
Water depth, angles, and restricted approach space.
19:30 – Deploying the Boom Lift
Careful machine placement and low-margin moves.
26:49 – We're Done!
Knowing when to stop instead of forcing progress.
31:46 – Plan B and Plan C
Tool changes, blocking, and slow controlled movement.

START FROM THE BEGINNING
If you’re new here, this story didn’t start today. From buying our wilderness island sight unseen to building everything ourselves, each season builds on the last. You can binge the playlists below to follow the full My Wild Holm journey.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Have you ever made the safest choice early on, only to discover it created new challenges later? How do you decide when to push forward and when to stop and rethink? We’d love to hear your experience.

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GEAR WE USE IN THIS VIDEO
Tree Netting: https://amzn.to/4qXbKU2
Pool Noodles: https://amzn.to/49mrf1O
10,000lb Ratchet Straps: https://amzn.to/3YEnlLp
Trailer Jack: https://amzn.to/4sMhKRd
Domestic Well Water Pump: https://amzn.to/4pOFaTm
Tree Trunk Protector: https://amzn.to/3YHJgRY
First Aid Kit: https://amzn.to/4ql7sWv

SHOPPING
Favorite Things: https://mywildholm.com/favorite-things/
Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/4rE3ER3
Merch Store:    / @mywildholm  

RESOURCES & LINKS
Channel Trailer:    • Couple Buys Wilderness Island and Builds a...  
All Playlists:    / @mywildholm  
Season 1:    • Season 1 - Starting out  
Season 2:    • Season 2 - Progress  
Season 3:    • Season 3 - Building a Life on our Wilderne...  
Season 4:    • Season 4 - Our Wilderness Journey Continues  

TAGS
#OffGridIslandBuild #OffGridLife #RemoteIslandHomestead #OffGridSawmill #NorwoodSawmill #BargeTransport #KubotaTrackLoader #CanadianOffGridLiving #SelfReliance #CabinLife