Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

After a pretty good year in spite of the snow, it time for our Spring Meeting and Pot Luck lunch. We got on Pushaw, Silver, Damariscotta, Schoodic, Moosehead, the MDI ponds and Lac St Francois. The big prize, of course, was Lake Sebago: four days over two weekends on black ice. First time the big lake has frozen in years. The launch at Nason’s Beach could not have been better, and Nason family, if you are listening, thank you and big tip of the helmet for your continued support of iceboating after all these years.

The meeting and Pot Luck will be at Camp Kieve overlooking Lake Damariscotta, Sunday April 26.

Business meeting starting at 11:00, lunch to follow. On the big deck weather permitting, otherwise inside. The lodge is at the end of the road. It is NOT the Kennedy Learning center.

Hoping to see you all there!

All-around ice sailor Andy Gratton will be giving a Zoom presentation about our sport. He’s part of a free webinar series hosted by The American Schooner Association and The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race on Thursday, April 16 at 6 PM CT / 7 PM ET Andy has sailed just about everything and owns nearly every class of iceboat known. If you’ve spent any time around iceboating, you’ve likely seen him giving rides in his vintage WISCONSIN stern steerer. This is a good introduction to the sport for sailors who’ve never stepped on the ice, and a reminder of why we keep coming back. Register here: LINK Andy Gratton and WISCONSIN Photo: Gretchen Dorian

A small fleet set up today at Schoodic Lake. Dan Clapp’s been checking the ice/slush for the past few days and with last night’s cold it hardened up nice. Of course there had to be snow at this very moment, just to keep us humble, but that seemed to no problem under the strong April sun.

Vroman, Clapp, Gulliaum and Young. Good call, Gents!

Charlie Kiersten, from The Hudson River club, showed up later and sailed until late in the day. All boats are off the ice now in anticipation of very warm temps tomorrow but Charlie is heading to Moosehead.
If anyone wants to join him he’ll be sailing out of Kellys Landing. Nice wind is predicted, traveling wind.

Forgot to add that the wonderful film posted yesterday was made by National Geographic producer David Clark, known for his work on the Galapagos and a number of NG specials over the years.

Here’s a link to a National Geographic film from 1980 featuring the Hudson River club with a cameo appearance from the hot shot Skeeter sailors of the day.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gninkdofzq7o7bwuwvrfd/Iceboats.mp4?rlkey=cs1dk7oi7uedr8ydhdeugv35k&e=2&st=ome9tc6x&dl=0

And while not nearly as wonderful, historical or romantic, here’s a quick peek at Grade 10 in Quebec this past weekend.

Whizz Iceboats – Lambton 2026 youtu.be

Please view these full screen on the Big Screen!