Who knows why some lakes blow clear while others don’t? Embden didn’t completely blow clear in our latest blizzard, but it mostly did. What was left is powder puffs of no consequence and hard packed bumps. But with no other ice in Maine, who’s to complain?

Eight sailors found their way to this hidden lake. Our hosts, Bruce and Josie Dow, had offered a warm-up by the fire in their camp. Bruce had bought an older DN a few years ago but never sailed it until today. With seven “coaches” he got the boat dialed in and was sailing fast before lunch.

The wind was right down the middle of the five mile lake, so no reaching around today. Even the Cheapskates made it down and back in the gusty wind. Linc Davis brought along his spare boat and put his old friend Ricky in it, gave a few words of wisdom and sent him off. In no time at all he was swapping tacks with Linc, more often ahead than behind.

Thanks to Sandy Butterfield for organizing the line-up. Ben Fuller and John Hanson round out the fleet, with Brian McNiff back in the pits trying to get his DN steering to function. Getting oneself to a lake with good conditions far from home is an accomplishment in itself: it is NOT the time to be fixing your boat. Our days on the ice are far too precious to waste.
In the background is Bruce and Josie’s camp. Not too shabby! Josie whipped up a delicious lasagna for lunch, topped off with absolutely first class coffee.

If anyone wants to go down to Athens on the Hudson with iceboats to sail with the stern steerers, let me know. It’s a once in a decade opportunity, and the way things are going this might be the last time.
Not much hope here in Maine, unless someone else pops up to exclaim how wonderful is THEIR lake!