Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

Regarding long shots, it seems that if you crunch the numbers you’ll find that in our world, more often than not, the odds turn up in our favor. So it was today. There was a miserable wind forecast, but there was also a couple of hungry iceboaters who could not be there yesterday. They made the call, and what a winner it was. Very light air was forecast. Whatever: a day spent messing around on the ice pushing the boat isn’t the worse way to waste a day.

After a couple of hours trying to sail downwind to the top of the lake we gave up and had lunch with plumb telltails. But by and by there was a puff, then more puff and before long there was a steady 10knts. It held and built as the day wore on and the miles slipped by under the planks. By late afternoon the ice was softening, as were the muscles. The marge held tight all day and trailers were pulled off easily.

Looking forward, Moosehead is shaping up nicely, and once we get through this week-long warm spell there should be a pretty nice surface. Long term, it looks like next Friday, a week from tomorrow, is the day to start thinking about.

Ice-out is coming. Don’t let a little lousy forecast keep you from a potentially wonderful day.

Great ice at Pushaw today. Top to bottom sailing, a dozen or so boats. Lighter winds forecast for tomorrow but a few boats will show up and give it a shot. There was moat water over the ice alongshore and at the launch ramp. It will probably freeze tonight, but take care if you get there early. It’s the yellow stuff in this photo:

At the top of the lake it’s about like this:

And even around the little islands it’s all go:

Showing up around Nine am.

Our tireless Pushaw scout, Bob Lombardo, skated the lake as far north as Twin Islands this morning and reports that the snow from yesterday is still there, but of no consequence. He skated right through it. And by tomorrow there will be less still. There appear to be snow mounds similar to those we found at Damariscotta. Thin runners might be a good choice.

It looks worse than it is, but we will give it a shot nonetheless. Launch at Goulds Landing.

Thanks to the relentless scouting of Lincoln Davis, twelve hungry iceboaters we able to sail the entire lake, hazzard free. No holes, no pressure ridges, top to bottom tight as a drum. The downside was that it was a rough ride no matter where you went, aside from the River. There were fewer snow humps, and the snow that was there was laid out in windrows about fifteen feet apart, giving beautiful, clear lanes. With the wind out of the west one could lay a course down the lane and just play the sheet accordingly. Not unlike runway sailing at Loring. (May 13-18).

Half the fleet went the full monty, a couple of others did just the run down to Vannah Rd., and the rest reached around in the north end. The access was excellent, but by late afternoon the dreaded slush bug set in.

Lastly, a word to the unwise: if you want to sail in the spring, you really need to show up early. Slush is real.

Regarding prospects, there’s a long shot chance that Pushaw will be accomodating on Wednesday. There was a skater there today who knows a thing or two about ice and he predicts it’ll be good to go. Stand by for reports as we get closer. There’s lots of warmth in the long term forecast, even for Moosehead. But our efforts now will be to focus on the big lake and get as much real time intel as possible. Because, as you heard the same time last year: there is always Moosehead!

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Tom Nichols took a long walk on the lake today from Lake Farm and noticed a number of crusty mounds. Too soft to go over yet too stiff to slice through. He saw more of them looking south, fewer looking north. Warm temps and sun today might do something with them, but just be careful. Don’t go plowing through until you know what they’ll do to your boat. Could be a good day for sharp slush runners.

They look about like this, yet the rest of the ice looks pretty good:

He drilled the ice and didn’t get through at 15”, the length of the drill bit. Access is excellent.