Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

The thing that makes people think iceboating is aging out is that most iceboaters are old. But the way it works is this: there is an IV drip of fifty somethings who pick it up, sail actively for twenty or thirty years and then retire. This has been the pattern in Maine, anyway, But this past weekend blew that theory out of the water. There were young folks on Damariscotta Lake, Webster Lake. MA and Bantam Lake, CT.

T sent a wonderful report about all the newbies and young folks at Webster, including the enchanting Bella Langley, while at Damariscotta we had the Northeastern University Iceboat Racing Team, the John Bapst High School Ice Boat Team, and quite a few others with no grey hairs. We all know that the barriers to entry to iceboating are high on many levels, so it’s all the more credit to these kids for getting the gear, making the drive, and getting the stoke, as T says. Bella, below, with the pink boat. It seems like every season the pink boat gets bigger…

In terms of sheer numbers, it’s safe to postulate that we in New England had over a hundred iceboats sailing this past weekend. There were the two fleets mentioned above, conservatively estimated at sixty boats. There were at least thirty on Bantam Lake, with a solid contingent there from Long Island. The Hudson River guys abandoned the River at Athens last week and moved to Orange Lake for the weekend. Twenty boats there puts us over the top. Below, a small part of the scene at Orange.

Below, George Neyssen on Bantam with his new C Skeeter built by Mike Acebo. There are four new C’s abuilding in Wisconsin.

The icing on the cake was the small group of Arrows and DN’s on Saratoga Lake, maybe a dozen.

We aren’t even going to try and count the number of boats taking part in the Western DN Regionals or the Skeeter Championship, but dare we say there may have been as many as two hundred ice boats sailing in the US this past weekend? (gives me goosebumps just writing it!)

Plus, there were two DN’s spotted on Chickawaukee. No one knows who they were, but they are coming out of the woodwork.

This may be the end for many lakes, so lets take this momentum and run with it the best we can. Help people get boats. Show them how to sharpen and align. Have them order Think Ice from this very web site. The barriers are high, but let’s do all we can to lower them.

Late in the last century there was an annual iceboating event on Lake Winneipesaukee called the Spring Fling. It involved cruising, racing and food. Sometimes the Hard Way, the run from Wolfboro to Center Harbor and back, was included. Dick Price had an island at the mouth of Wolfboro Bay and would host the event there. When Dick moved to Florida the Fling lost its zing and the next best thing has been these big gatherings on Damariscotta Lake in March, as we had today. Everyone who tried to count the boats seemed to loose track after thirty; some estimated at least forty. No matter, the day cold not have been more perfect. Wind 10-15, temps hight twenties and full sun. Ice was less rough yet again and still sublime south of the narrows for those able to dodge the cracks, leads and open water.

Suffice it to say that if you are sailing a DN in expedition mode, you need to sit up and look for hazzards. Exploring an laberyntine lake like Dammy by its very nature involve sailing in close proximity to soft water.
You might think that because it’s not frozen it’s not that cold, but it is. And on a good day it’s always a long way back to the pits. But the risks are outweighed by the pure joy of sailing around islands like an airplane does clouds.
Back to the Spring Fling, one of the things that was discouraged was “reaching around”. This involves a fleet of iceboats sailed by skippers who want to go fast back and forth, up and down the lake. Damariscotta is ideal for this in a W or NW wind. But there are no sailing rules for boats meeting head on in a reaching situation. And because these are mostly new sailors who are naturally intoxicated by this amazing sensation
their instincts for avoiding collisions have not yet been honed. There were not crashes on the Broads today, and we don’t have a history of crashes reaching around but the potential is there, especially as the sun gets lower in the afternoon and a spot of fatigue sets in. We had a windward-leeward course set today, but the management failed to get the word out to everyone that this is what should be done. Ideally we’d have been running races all day, but this has been a perennial issue. All we can suggest is that when you find yourself in this sort of flow is at least try to establish two lanes, and then stay in them.
The final bit of dogma is that you will never learn to sail an iceboat by reaching back and forth. Like most endeavors in life, the more skilled you become the more fun it becomes. When you learn to sail effectively downwind you’ll be able to tackle the narrows without pushing or do well taking part in a Regatta.

Light winds and warm temps for a while, but you know that: you’re an iceboater. Stand by for Moosehead, or if Winni survives the warm spell, a Hard Way.

There will be hot chili on the beach for lunch today. Enjoy!

Ice less rough, sun less warm, wind still full on: another great day. Marks were set in the morning and the first Mini Skeeter Easterns were attempted. Three boats lined up, and it was a close duel between the top two boats. Race one was a photo finish dead heat tie. Race two was Chris Malliet’s, second Bob MacEwen, third Bobby Able. There was no race three because we all decided to go touring in the south end to find a nice spot for lunch. A splendid cruise ensued, hitting all the smoothest plates. Most of the fleet sailed at similar speeds, we stayed close, and the racing was sublime. Who need marks when you have islands?

Lighter winds for tomorrow; it might be the last day as it tapers down to light and variable Sunday. Marks are still up!

And the latest from Bob at Webster:

“7 boats on friday wind 15+ some bionick runs back at it tomorrow winds 10 to 13, sailing my ass off until it melts next week.”

Bob S

Regarding Winnipesaukee, Hard Way is being SCOUTED: no sailing event planned at this TIME! Once the wind dies Sunday a warm spell sets in. If the lake comes out the other end smelling like roses, them we’ll have something.

Bob S. will be sailing Webster today with a few other boats.