Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

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Spring Fling kind if thing on the little lake that just keeps on keeping on. Kites, wings, iceboats, iceboat with wing, everything. Big wind, full sun, tons of fun.

The marks were up and the scratch racing was hot.

Word from the ice is that this is it for a while. Temps in the low forties today, and then pushing fifty tomorrow. Same with Chautauqua in New York. In Maine there is still snow.

Kitewing.

Boatwing.

The next weather event later this week brings us competing precipitation again. Last time it was snow 1, rain 0. Searching for an answer we have set up a snow lantern and an ice lantern. Whichever one survives best the next few days will predict the outcome and determine our fortune.

Thanks to Mike Acebo and Jackie Mushinsky for the photos.

This just in from Andy Sajor:

We have a solid 8 inches of ice, however it is as rough as a Stegosaurus’s tail. After a careful reconnoiter of the ice out to GC1 Cumberland Bay, I set up the Zepher and ripped off a few high speed runs which rattled my skull but put the biggest grin I have had on my face this season. It seems when there is good Ice I have had obligations and when I am free there is no ice.

Might not be great for DN’s but is there ISA potential here? It’s not looking good in the mid-west and time is running out. As Buddy always said, the ice smooths right out the moment the flag drops!

And from Lake Chautauqua Jeff Kester sent this. It’s a twenty mile long lake and they hope to do the entire length today.

No news from Kingston, meaning no news is bad news. So locally this leaves us with Attitash Pond in Merrimac; there are two DN’s set up there and Quabog.

From Bob:

checked quaboag today: 5.25 inches, but remember the holes are still there. 5 free skates were there today, some shell ice but the pressure cracks have frozen.

cold weather friday. 38 to 40 high saturday

Paul Delnero is sailing Attatash Pond in Merrimac, MA today with a couple of other boats. He reports 5″ of grey ice with healed drain holes covered with 4″. Surface grade 8.

In western New York state Jeff Kester and his gang are sailing on Chautauqua Lake in Lakewood. No word on conditions, but sailing is sailing!

Bob Strzelewicz completed the salvage operation on Quabog today. He was able to get far enough out with just waders.

The summary of the de-briefing with the sodden skipper is basically this: stay well hydrated and fed. Dehydration leads to disorientation and confusion, which was the major cause here.

Thanks, Bob, for the terrific effort!

It is not a happy day in Maine. Our anticipated coastal nudge never happened and the snow just kept coming until finally changing to rain late. Too late.

White, white as far as the eye can see, and from midwestern reports it appears to be sea to sea.

Somewhere out there is another Quabog, a little hidden gem just waiting to be discovered, and like Quabog last weekend perhaps the only sailable ice in the world. Let’s find it!