While we iceboaters have been bitching about what a lousy winter it’s been, the ice in Maine has slowly been getting better and better. The lake today was still tight top to bottom, side to side. When the strong and steady southerly filled in it was fast sailing throughout. As the temperature crested freezing and the wind built, the quarter inch of snow that fell yesterday began to vanish before our goggled eyes. The white eventually turned to wet, with small waves on the deepening puddles. Mildly concerning.

Three Mini Skeeters and two Whizz line up for the obligatory cliff shot. From there it was off to the north end for a sauna rounding, our traditional windward mark, but today the leeward mark. Jory chose to stop there, go inside and enjoy his lunch. Probably a good call as it began to rain as we began the circuitous beat all the way to Barretts Cove at the extreme opposite end of the lake.

Rock Alley was tight shore to shore, just wide enough to short tack through. There’s a video of this passage in the video section of this web site.

Back in the Broads, Ben Fuller was putting STREAK through her paces:

The surface began to soften by 2:00, so with the wind still building the fleet retired.

If local lakes survive the warmth tomorrow, Friday and/or Saturday could be fine days for a sail. But don’t take my word for it, go out and see for yourself!