A bit of magic occurred last night on the lake, or maybe it was science. All that snow was gobbled up by the layer of slush and by this morning had coalesced into a lovely sheet of grey ice. There are patches of thin light snow which are a little grippy, but when it’s blowing 10-15 with gusts you just sail around them. Perhaps sail isn’t the best word; flying is more accurate. Soaring around the clouds in a two dimensional sky.

We laid out a course running around CarKey Island (the first one heading north out of the pits) up through the straight at Red House Island, into the river and around that first little islet. Denis ands I were neck and neck more than once rounding that leeward mark.
Above, there is open water at the first dogleg in the river, heading south. End of the road for now. And we haven’t crossed the pressure ridge blocking the entrance to The Narrows.

A tad less big wind forecast for Saturday, and again very cold. There will be two, possibly three maiden voyages tomorrow. Walter Wales, the new skipper of YELLOW BIRD, Jeff Dick with his elder Whizz, and Bryce Geele with his brand new Whizz #21 Whizztler. Bryce had the satisfaction today, on maybe his last day in the Cheapie, of breaking the Cheapskate Speed Record, previously held by Bob MacEwen, of 46mph. PennyPincher pulled it off at 46.5.
Bryce might also get some kind of award for his ingenious trailer solution. Old camper trailers are out there for the taking once the mice move in. Will it double as a lunch shack? Got heat?

Stand by and find out!