Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

When you stop to think of the effort that went into getting six big stern steerers tuned up, assembled and on the line last week it gives one pause. We set up and take down our boats in under thirty minutes, often moving to another lake the same day. Here’s a great sequence of photos taken by Jon Palmer of the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club, showing what it takes to set up one of these majestic vessels of average size.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/191062562@N04/15mzJW

These were taken two seasons ago at Athens, NY, on the Hudson.

Scroll slowly, savor the details, and recall a recent video of Cold Wave blasting through fresh powder on Orange Lake about a month ago. That’s the pay-off.

Still waiting for ice. Any leads?

Long Pond Harwich on the Cape was the venue this past weekend for both the Doc Fellows and The Beanpot Regattas. The Beanpot is the Mass State Championship. Results below.

Winner of the Doc Fellows, Paul Chamberland

Below, Jeff Roseberry took home the Beanpot:

Let’s keep an eye on Sebago as we move through this warm spell.

Here is the best footage so far of the big race this past Monday.

Class A Stern Steerer. youtube.com

Thanks to Bill Bunting for sending it in. He says that as soon as he can kick the ageing thing he’ll be back on the ice. You go Bill!

Here’s a link to the incredible story of the cup as well as more detailed results from this past weekend’s epic regatta. Van Nostrand Cup Race!

And speaking of epic, here’s some video from the past two days at Sebago. While not as auspicious, it’s still one more for the history books.
https://youtu.be/DaN8kg1b8rk
Video by Karl Ramsdell, Glenn Gaudin and Bill Buchholz.
Editing by Denis Guertin
Music by Phillip Glass

Two Sunday-Monday sailings: same great forecast, same great ice. Almost. The light snow Saturday created wind packed drifts yesterday that would have been a game changer if not for the 15-30mph breeze. It was easy to dodge around most of the drifts but every now you missed the clear lane and the boat would groan as it powered through the deep stuff. Remember, we’re not sailing A Class stern steerers here.

The wind blew all night, note the streams of blowing snow above, and today the drifts were noticeably smaller and the entire plate was completely hospitable. The major N-S pressure ridge had dried up and froze tight and could be crossed anywhere. Our fleet made a number of lovely tours to Frye Island, deep reaching downwind, racing the scudding snow until the snow trash ice hove into view. Then it was the brutal realiy check that yes, it was still blowing a gale and we put the bows up for the long slog back. Crossing back onto the home plate, it was a screaming reach back to Nasons Beach to get warm, have a snack, check in to see who has showed up and just revel in the tranquility of our pits in the lee with the full sun.
And then back out and do it again.

We had fourteen boats today. Above: MacEwan, Boivert, Boynton, Guertin, Buchholz, Gagnon, Malliet.

Missing are Fortier, Butterfield and buddy, Linc and Andrew Davis with Cheapskates, and Chuckie with TJ from the Androscoggin Lockley Sailers Association.
Also in attendace was Clayton, of the Steampunk Cheapskate Ironmongers Group.

Here’s a bit of ice art to cap it off. If art imitates life then here we have contrast, drama and beauty with no understanding of how it all comes to be.
Such is ice sailing.