Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

Our “Magic Lake” is still intact right up to the beach at the Damariscotta Farm Loop. Three of us sailed it today, Friday Mar 3. Some of the magic is gone. The surface is a charitable 4-5, rough but tolerable for what may be end of season sailing. The NW wind was gusty and speeds were limited by the surface, patchy shell ice and granular thin styro foam (that seemed to sublime away by afternoon) and congealed 4 wheeler tracks. The forecast for continuing strong NW wind through Sunday and very cold Saturday is not inviting for a regatta or just fun sailing. Monday, before likely rain on Tuesday, might be the best day. The intrepid Friday sailors, Squibb, MacEwan, and Roberts are not planning to sail Saturday, maybe Sunday, (although still lots of wind), but more likely Monday, in desperation. Possibility of some rain Tuesday and warming might fix the surface, IF it gets cold again afterward. Grassy pond/reservoir, a frog pond right on Rte 17 in Union, looks good on drive by but there is no place to park anywhere near the ice.

Looks very good on a short walk out past the ramp. Ramp is tight and drive on. Ice is 6-7, aside from occasional snowmobile tracks.
Race start time moved to 11:00 Sunday. Bring hand and foot warmers, and storm sails.

This morning was seriously thinking of DN racing. Hoping to sail the Maine State Championship for 2017. So, I called another DN minded Chicky sailor at 0730 on this Friday morning, Doug Raymond. We looked at ice cams, temperature forecasts of below zeroF for the weekend, discussed lack of lodging at Moosehead. Though there is plenty of wind in the forecast (looks like too much actually), I believe that we will have ice next week, and it would be reasonable to wait. The forecast looks as though we will have ice next weekend, and most likely race-able temperatures. The other positive result of postponement is that we could get more racers from away on the line.

By the way, the Link Davis trophy has been enlarged so it will be able to fit more names in the future. Because I am in hopes that the Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club will continue to race around the marks on DN iceboats, the largest ice racing class in the world. Here is a picture of the trophy. I just checked the Maine State Championship trophy, last won by Eric Anderson in 2014, and there is plenty of room for names on that for years to come.

Cheers everyone, more later on the upcoming Maine State Champs.

Dave Fortier US4690

PS I cannot figure out how to include the picture of the Linc Davis trophy with this message. Maybe later

Thanks to Arrow sailor Carolyn Vaughn for sending in this shot from the Rockwood dock.

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Moosehead Lake is shaping up nicely for the weekend. Sunny with winds in the 20’s on Saturday, sun with winds in the teens Sunday. Reports from locals on the condition of the surface, along with web cam images, indicate it will be good enough. The rain falling today will hopefully drain out or evaporate before the temps plunge, reducing chances of shell ice forming.

The 100 mile race will start at 10:00 Sunday. Launch at The Birches, Rockwood, ME. The Birches has one cabin open for Friday, and a lodge room for both nights. Moose Mt. Inn has two rooms open for the weekend.

We will be on the ice Friday by noon and will post an update on conditions then.