Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

Here are some photos taken this morning from the Great Pond launch site off RT 27, in Belgrade Maine.
As you can see in the second photo the condition of the ice which looked to be fairly consistent. Still lots of ice. See you tomorrow.

Sent from my iPad

The launch is off Rt. 27, NOT 24.

Thanks to Jimi for picking up on this.

Jim Gagnon had a good look this morning and reports grade 6 surface, launch tight to the shore. There is 4″ of good ice over an inch of slush over a lot more ice. There was no evidence of this sandwich until he chopped down to it. He didn’t see and drain holes or pressure ridges but that doesn’t mean they’re not there. What was it that Dick Chaney said about known unknowns? Sail heads up and eyes open.

We don’t have a picture but he did say it was better than Pushaw last weekend and we had a ball on that ice.

Public launch just off Rt. 27 south of town.

Warren Darress made this. Thankfully not the whole 100, but it is long. If you know the lake and the course you’ll find it compelling, especially when he has you in his sights. He’s been sailing his entire life and it shows in the way he constantly works the boat. Warren had this to say:

Just wanted to thank you and your team for getting Pushaw Lake checked and marked. For me, it was my one time out this year, and certainly worth the 500 mile drive each way to Bangor ME from Smithtown Long Island NY. The iceboaters were so friendly, and my extra crew chiefs George Neyssen and Tony Bosco were unbelievable. Thanks to the late Rich Crucet, I have a relatively new axle and wheel bearings on my 40 year old trailer. It was also wonderful seeing Tom Nichols who I have known for 55 years.

While Saturday was too much wind, Sunday was great. I did want to let you know I did join the 100 mile race crossing the starting line just after you guys took off. After 1.3 Laps, and the 15 minute slack wind 5 miles from the launch site, I decided to head back to the launch area when wind came back up. With snow ice starting to melt, I figured be safe with wind, and don’t chance pushing back 5 miles. I continued to sail nearer the launch area.

Iceboating Pushaw Lake Bangor, ME 03-08-20 100 Mile Race.mov

Thanks Warren!

The start time was scheduled to be 10 o’clock. It is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Biddeford to the launch on Pushaw Lake getting on the road by 0700 was my plan. I did in fact leave the house by  0700. When I was 5 minutes from my house I realized that I forgot My GoPro, and I did want to take it along because I was hoping to get a bit of instruction from Denis Guertin who I think uses one for his great video postings. I have had the GoPro for at least 4 years, and I always forget to bring it along, so that is why I went back for it. 

Once I was on the highway at 0715 on a Sunday morning the traffic was light and moving a a good clip. When I left 295 in Gardiner and picked up I95, I started following two cabs traveling in tandem at a good 85 MPH. As a matter of fact ALL cars were going over the speed limit, so I was making good time, and would most definitely get to Pushaw before 10. I did indeed get to Orono by 0930, so I decided to stop for gas, and coffee at the Irving there on the route so that I would be all set for the drive south after the action on the ice. 

I arrived at the launch site at 0945, and everybody seemed to be there. I started getting the sail up and checking things over, waiting for the call for a skippers meeting. As I was getting my spikes on most of the boats sailed away. I saw that Jim was still there and I hollered to him about the skippers meeting, and he yelled that there would be one. So, I thought that the gang would return to the pits after a bit of warm up. I finish setting up my boat and headed out to see if I could catch up to a group of them and possibly see what was going on. I was not able to find a group at least not a group stopped that I would be able to talk to. 

Eventually I saw four or five boats sailing south so I followed them. I saw them rounding an island so I followed in that general direction. I did not get close enough to them, I was probably a quarter of a mile behind them. As I follow them I did not follow their lead close enough, I missed seeing the two yellow flags that marked the safe passage around the tip of the island. I subsequently sail into an open lead off the southern tip of the island. Attempting to catch the others I was sheeted in, at speed when I came to a stop instantly hitting the open water. I then was a bit fouled in the rigging, but was able to walk/crawl over the boat/sail off the stern. I then swam to the edge of the ice that I sailed off. There was a few feet of 3/4 inch shell ice that I had to break through to get to the edge of the thicker (5inch) ice. That is when I saw Tom Nichols setting the brake on his boat, and I yelled to him. He was busy getting a piece of line, so I just chilled out and waited. It was unfortunate that I was unable to touch the bottom as I hoped. When he got close I informed him that the ice appeared to be thick to the edge that I was at, but he used caution and stayed 6 feet or so from me and tossed the line toward the edge. I was able to grab the line and then with a bit of a pull and some kicking with my feet was able to swim onto the ice. Fortunately as I said the ice was 5 inches thick, and Tom stayed away from the edge so the ice did not give way. 

We went over toward his boat and talked a bit about me clinging to the plank to ride back to the pits. The temperature was warm, and I was warm enough now that I was out of the water, so I suggested that he sail back solo and get help. Soon a local woman on a bicycle rode up, and asked the obvious questions such as are you OK, didn’t you see the flags…? She was kind enough to share her granola bar with me. I did not even have time to unwrap the bar and get a bite when a local gentleman in Can-Am four wheeler motored out to rescue this wet sailor. I unfortunately did not get his name, and when we got back to the pits I was anxious to find some dry clothes in my car. I fortunately did have some dry clothes, and was able to use the giant skeeter trailer to change in. That was the perfect place to get out of the wet gear, as WET clothes are not easy to get off! When I got back to the ice, I believe that is when Mr Bucholz was arriving with my Super DN that they got out of the lake in tow. The local with the CanAm was not there nor the kind woman on the bike. 

Everyone was packing up their gear in he warm afternoon sun. I was able to pack all my wet gear into the car, and with some help the Super DN onto the car rack. Denis, who had the longest  drive was the first that I saw drive off the ice. The rest of us were not far behind. I would say that we all made it home before dark on the first daylight savings time evening of the year. Cheers, Dave US4690