A colorful fleet of ice yachts (and skippers) blasted through the drifts on Damariscotta today. The warming temps and full sunshine were a welcome relief after the past few days of hosting arctic air. The launch from Lake Farm worked well in spite of the rip-rap installed to prevent the ice from dragging the sand back into the lake in the spring. Imagine that…

Sailing from Lake Farm has been the traditional CIBC launch site for years. But recently the ice in the south end has been better and the Vannah Rd. launch has served us well The ice down there is often better, but today, as if to validate our commitment to Lake Farm, the conditions in the south end were worse. More and thicker drifts, fickle winds. There’s a rule of thumb in Japanese architecture that says not to put your house in the most beautiful site on the property. Leave that alone, let it remain beautiful, and then you get to think about that spot and go there for reflection.
So when launching from the north end we need to make an effort to get into the southern archipelago, into Deep Cove, and down the river. We have yet to do all that. It remains an elusive goal.

Yachts have decamped from the lake. The plan is to sail Thompson Lake, Oxford, ME tomorrow. Launch at the public ramp on Rt. 121. If you’re looking for a sign that this might be a good idea, sailing an unknown lake on black ice for the first time, know that just north of the launch, just above, is Wardwell Island. Hope to see you there around ten am.

Thompson yesterday. Looks like tomorrow is the best wind of the week.

This is the launch ramp. Not ideal. Bring wheels. A trailer will go down but might not come back up. But the good news is there is a waterfront restaurant just south of the launch, for which any old lake will receive one CIBC Gold Star.