Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

It is cold and the wind stopped blowing! So thinking that ice could now have a chance, I circled Sebago Lake ME today. I started with Lower Bay, and found that it was hard as far north as Indian island. Looking on the chart shows that to be 1.25 x 1.25 mi. From there I traveled clockwise up to Nason’s beach, and though Mr Nason has the parking area nicely plowed, the lake is soft far as the eye can see. I continued NW to rt. 302 and the causeway to find that Long Lake is in fact frozen and snowed upon. From there I continued south east to Raymond Beach at the head of Jordan Bay. I found that to be freshly frozen about as far as I could see. Near the beach/launch (not plowed to the water) the ice was roughish 30-40 ft out as it was old ice. From there on fresh freeze. From talking with those seeming to be in the know it solidified Thursday night Friday morning. From there I went SE on 302 then took bridge road following Jordan bay as closely as possible. All I saw was monolithic black ice as far as Whites Point. On the chart that is 3.5 mi from Raymond beach, Jordan Bay is 2 mi wide. From Whites point south there was more ice, but not solid. The wind was light today, and predicted light tonight, so the sheet will grow and thicken with near 0F temps. forecast.

Dave US4690

There is indeed a slender ribbon of open water across the “broads” of Chickawaukee. Most of the lake is mostly shiny ice with some grey islands and bands where the snow had wet out the last couple of days. The shiny grade ten stuff is 2 inch slushwich, the grey granular stuff is solid, couple of inches of snow ice and then black foundation ice 5-6
inches thick. The Christmas present snow storm tomorrow is forecast for 6 plus inches and lots of wind, NE with the snow, then NW with very cold air, sub zero at night, for the rest of the week. This looks like drift city before the cold. Maybe the central open water will get puttied up with snow and solidify. Jordan Bay on Sebago Cam is open water, maybe it will freeze after being cooled by snow, ditto pump house bay at the South end, but no cam there.

Merry Christmas, look for New Year’s ice.

The rain yesterday did a superb job of wetting out our local coastal lakes. There’s still a hole in Chickawaukee, but we’ll go scout Megunticook this morning, all the while maintaining deep denial over tomorrow’s pending blizzard. After that, it’s deep cold all week, so the search for good ice will continue. ‘Tis the season of Christmas parties and Scouting parties!

Yesterday, Dec 21, I had an aerial ice tour courtesy of Delta, flying from Seattle to Portland. Numerous ice covered ponds and lakes from western Minnesota most of the way east, most with apparent thin snow and grey cracks where water had seeped through, as seen from 35,000 Ft. and 500 + MPH. Winny and Sebago still wet. Wentworth looked pretty good from maybe 10,000 Ft. in fact better than most. I could not drop a brick on it, the flyers test for thickness. Does this count as ice boating time?

Lloyd

Charlie Sylvenius is on the ball:

4″ plus on every hole drilled on Lake Wentworth. 75% of the lake checked on skates all but the south end. Two of us will sail today. Surface is a 6 plus conservatively.