Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

When I arrived on the ice first on Saturday morning I was happy to find launch in good condition and was able to get help with my boat onto the ice. As always, observing the wind conditions noticed little in the launch area, but out on the ice there were frequent snownados blowing down the lake from the west. The forecast was for strong wind from the west so it seemed as predicted. For this reason I decided to set up the DN accordingly.
I have a bendy CSI mast and for such occasions I have a stiffener that I best describe as a batten of constant strength. It has carbon fiber skins with balsa core of varying thickness. The bottom mast step area of the mast removable and the batten is installed that way. The next heavy air accessory is a set of 1/4inch insert runners with 20inch profile that are the best I have for high speed fun and competition. Many boats had arrived, and were setting up for high wind as well, I recall about 90% were fortunate enough to own a high wind sized sail and were using it! For many of the skeeter type boats it is a DN sail, many with DN masts as well.
When all of the DN sailors arrived Doug and I had decided that postponement was to be the call. All the racers agreed and were planning to be on the ice Sunday anyway, so all was good. So many of us went out set up for the heavy air as best we could.
It was a very wise thing that we did not attempt to race, it was well over safe racing wind speed. Many boats were out sailing, and we definitely were going very fast. I know that the urge overcame me and racing happened without a race course. When you are hitting those speeds and you see a boat ahead, it is hard to resist the urge to overtake an pass. I had my flattest high wind sail that I own and I was smokin’. I believe that it was around 1400 when I decided to call it a day, and started to head toward the launch. Of course sheet in and get to the pits as fast as the boat will go, and I did. I was doing just that and about 1/4 mile before the island something broke and the rig came down. All was not lost, when the rig came down I was at speed and the ice was clear and smooth and I coasted for for that 1/4 mile to the island. The forestay was doing its thing so the mast was at the same angle as normal, but the tip of the mast on the ice. I took an extra mitten that I had and put it over the base of the mast to protect the fuselage paint and rather than taking the sail down and having to carry all the separate items, I pushed the remaining distance to the launch site. I could see what had happened, and it had much to do with crazy wind we were playing in. The shroud tang on the plank had snapped, 1/8 inch stainless steel!
I sailed a half dozen or so blazing runs up and down the lake with everything from J14s to Cheapskates and as far as I know the only equipment failures were my tang, Fred Wardwell’s structurally modified Cheapskate hull, and Jimmy Gagnon’s storm sail capsize failure (torn luff).
So, I needed to repair my plank before Sunday morning. Removed the plank leaving the hull on the ice, put all the runners and rigid away, and it was off to Lloyds shop of tools etc. I knew that heat would be needed to remove the bolt holding the remainder of the tang, and Lloyd had just the tool, a high power soldering iron, better than a torch as finish paint on plank does not get damaged.
I did not carry a spare tang because I never expected that it was a breakable item. It was Sunday morning back at the launch, luckily, Denis Guertin had a DN in his trailer with a plank and tangs and allowed Bill Bucholz and I to “borrow” one. Fortunately, Denis’s chocks were not epoxied on as mine were, and the bolt was removable with no damage (broken bolt). It was not a problem bolting it onto my plank, but I was a bit behind schedule. Fortunately Lloyd was off setting the windward mark, and Doug got racers to fill out the forms and sign on the dotted line.
I put the plank back on the hull put those 1/4inch inserts on, stepped the mast, raised sail and got my ass out to the line as fast as I was able. When I got out there Lloyd and Doug had it all under control. The marks were set, and as Lloyd did have to leave us at noon we were planning to use the winner becomes the flag man system when he did. Did I mention that Sunday was not as windy as Saturday, but it was still quite strong. So, we had one of our racers volunteer to be the race flagman. John Hayes did a great job starting and finishing us. We gave him a good show as well, did I tell you it was windy! Some of our leeward mark roundings must have been fun to watch, I know they are challenging and exciting to execute. Man, when you do it right, very satisfying start to the upwind leg!
We had some very fast racing, and were able to get 5 races in before we decided that it was Sunday and that many of us had a long drive home, and we headed for the launch. It was unfortunate that one of our racers Chris had an extra long drive/ ferry ride home to Nantucket island and had to leave after only two races, first and third. He had to catch the ferry, probably not as many runs as in the summertime!
Four boats finished all the races so I will list those and their finishes. Five races so one throw out:)

Sail# race1 race2 race3 race4 race5 total
4690     2         1          1         1          1         4
4272      3         2         3         2         2         9
4619      4         4         2         3         3         12
5249      5         5          4        4         4         17

Thanks to all the racers. Hope you all had fun and a safe drive home. Depending on weather Maine State Championship could be next weekend!

Lighter wind then yesterday brought out still more boats. Lighter means 10-15 instead of the 15-25 from yesterday. There were boats up the lake, down the lake, in the narrows and on the race course. We held the Linc Davis Regatta and got in five races. Results will be posted soon.

The mighty Ray Ruge Hagarty made her debut on big ice, feeling a bit constricted on Meguntcook. We had a chance to really open her up and if you’ve ever imagined what it would be like to drive a locomotive, well, it was like that. Pure power, smooth and deep.

The pits were abuzz with activity all day. Many folks had their first ride in an iceboat and there was plenty of talk of building & buying boats. We can only hope some of the talk leads to action.

Mike Acebo sent these pix from a trip down the arm, which some folks wonder why it’s not called the leg, but such is the way with place names.

As not everyone is rushing back to work tomorrow, there are still boats on the ice with skippers planning on sailing. The plate is beginning to work. A crack has opened up toward the south end of the North Broads. There were a row of flags there today, but the crack will keep doing something all night. The bottom of the narrows is getting tricky as well. And a crack was forming about a third of the way down the South Broads. All these hazzards are easily negotiated if you keep your goggles clean and eyes open.

The quality of the ice in the South Broads continues to prove the old ax that the ice is always better on the other side of the narrows/pressure ridge/whathaveyou. Good chance of snow on Wednesday, with little hope of recovery. If this is it, it has indeed been the best and longest run of excellent conditions on Damariscotta Lake in recent iceboating history. We were blessed to be a part of it, and not stuck in a departure lounge somewhere being indefinitely detained by a demented dictator.

What’s left to say? Steve Lamb figured it out: he believes this lake is magic. No drain holes, no new hazzards, the pressure ridge healed and almost impossible to see, ramp clear, ice 10″ thick. Combine that with full sun and nearly thirty of happy iceboaters, add about 15-20kts of wind and boil until fried. The light dusting of snow was a bit of a reality check this morning, but the indomitable spirit of the hardwater sailor didn’t miss a beat: there was no grumbling in the pits and in gratitude for such a good attitude, the snow was blown clear by mid-day.
There was a moment n the morning when I found myself in a great drift of blowing snow, sailing downwind with it at windspeed, seemingly getting born along on a magic carpet of white with no ice in site.
Long distance travel award goes to Paul Zucco and George Nyson from CT, and Mike, Rick and Doug from Long Island.
Thanks to Jim Gagnon for the nifty new flags which now mark the lead at the south end of the narrows (leave to the right going down) and two at the entrance to the Arm (first one leave to the left, second one to the right going down. Great fun doing it at speed)

Tip of the helmet to Guy Pollyblank and Pat Furr for getting their boats dialed in and sailing them very well, Guy with Dickie’s old Defroster and Pat with Whizz #5, Gee Whizz. And one more tip to James Lamb’s partner Jill for embracing the sport, and all that it involves:

Linc Davis Regatta to be held tomorrow. All DN’s welcome! Come early, don’t miss it.

The ice was robust enough according to our scout on the ice today, Bill Buchholz. The race is on for Saturday with Sunday reserved for more racing if we choose or if too windy to race on Saturday. The wind and weather is predicted to be FINE, so pack up you DNers and let’s meet on the ice for some good competition!

Thinking Ice, Dave

The lake is as good as it looks. It was skate sailed on Nordic skates early this afternoon and the ice was firm. This, in spite of the 38 degree temps. No drain holes were found in the area from the pits, out to the buoys at Second Island, and about a third of the way across. No cracks, and the crud around the fishing camps is just a small bump. This plate is amazing, an easy grade 8.5-9.

Of course, this was a random sampling. The rest of the lake will need to be scouted again and troubles marked. Tomorrow should be a fine day for that. The parking lot is icy; could some one bring some sand? I’m leery of calling the snow plow sander because of the wash down into the pits that happened last time. The Clubhouse will be off limits tomorrow, but available for us on Sunday and the rest of the week. The forecast is nothing but beautiful as far as thy eye can see.