Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

Great Pond is one of the three fabulous lakes in Maine that iceboaters cherish. All three have their times and attractions. Damariscotta has it’s intimate charm, Pushaw it’s great north south orientation, but Great Pond is just, well, great. The majesty of big Hoyt Island dividing the lake into two halves, and then the two deep ends beyond Oak Island south of Hoyt. When the plate is as flawless as it was today you just rack up the miles with a smile frozen to your face. Deep downwind gybes going on forever. Long upwind tacks with an occasional self-indulgent peel off into a power gybe just because you can offers an amazing sense of freedom. And this with well matched boats side by side the whole way.

The great photo of the day was missed due to a frozen phone, but it was of Gee Whizz, W-5, the red boat against a blue sky in a long, tall hike which, from the view from my cockpit, put his windward runner above the horizon, miles away at the top of the lake. The air was crystal clear and the colors vivid. Time stood still.

Perhaps twenty boats showed up, including a clutch of hot DN’ers training around the marks. The NEIYA is hosting the DN Worlds in the eastern region next season so if you’re not in training to get the gold then please consider helping out with the operations end. Stand by for details over the course of the off season.

Not that this is the start of the off season yet. There is still scads of ice up north, so tank up on the ridiculously cheap gas and come quarantine on the ice! We’re all good: we already wear masks and gloves!

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!