The seven inches of ice at the Vannah Rd. launch drops to four about a 1/4 mile out. There’s an obvious transition line. The ice fisherman were set up all along it, not daring to venture further. But we’re iceboaters, what do we know. Onward we went, letting the ax lead the way. Thickness stayed about the same all the way to the middle of the South Broads where a small pressure ridge went from shore to shore, blocking access further north. A skater could round it alongshore, but not an iceboat. The skating is divine, and reports tell about even better ice in the River, accessible from the launch on Rt. 215.

This is a particularly lovely drain hole, all of which are fully healed. There is sporadic minimal shell ice.

There are also random cracks out in the South Broads. As this is mostly snow ice, it will need time to solid up. Nice winds now forecast for Tuesday. Monday night will be in single digits. If iceboats wish to sail Tuesday, they should sail only in Muscongus Bay, and not venture out past the second island until that plate is thoroughly checked. Consider the conditions “sketchy”.

While you’re waiting and just to get the juices flowing (as if they weren’t already, now at the end of January) here’s a great video of the Gold Cup from last week:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNngrq7UI9s