Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

Fantastic ice and moderate breeze brought smiles on the sun-burnt and wind-blown faces of twenty-one iceboat skippers today. The drain holes that we spotted yesterday had developed 2-3″ of ice overnight. Scouting the course for tomorrow’s Whizz Race we found a few of these in the South end:

Nothing in the North end except the fish house mentioned yesterday. The pressure ridge at the SE corner of the North Broads has some boat sized holes in it, but there are now two orange cones marking a sailable crossing. There are also a pair of cones at the south end of the narrows indicating point leads. Easy stuff. The few drain holes like that in the photo above are marked with sticks, but will probably have three inches on them by morning.

We never got a good line up shot of the eight Whizz present as they never wanted to stop and come in!
Tomorrow we expect Pat and Jeff from NH to show up and make it ten. We’ll get the shot then. Doug Raymond got these wonderful abstractions during on of the lulls.

Hope to see you tomorrow!

Jim Gagnon and I skated south to Second Island and about halfway across, to a large fish house. We found two, maybe three drain holes that could eat a runner. Many small ones like this:

They are already skimming over and should have a strong skin on them by morning. We have marked two of the big ones with an orange flag and a branch to the north of the pits, but in the bay. Surface is about an eight. The area around the fish house is gnarly, as expected. Stay clear.

Ramp has a couple of planks to span the moat.

Whizz Regatta planned for Sunday, skippers meeting at 11:00, start right after ( or whenever Denis and Frank show up!) Maps will be provided. Course will be scouted and marked Saturday.

We’re all on the edge of our seats with the amazing weather forecast, hoping it comes true for the weekend. Meanwhile, Doug Raymond has this to offer:

“Free Sunfish sail (rough but useable) and free bed rails to anyone who has a Cheapskate under construction. Also a couple of free sets of marks to any CIBC “regular”.

I think we should distribute the marks to a bunch of different sailors so there will always be a set on hand. Thanks for making them, Doug! Bring them to Damariscotta this weekend.

Brian Langly has finished the Mini Skeeter:

He also built a minimini BDX skeeter for his daughter Bella:

Gotta love the pink powder coated boom. How could any little girl resist? Remember the BDX iceboat baby carriage on runners he built for her when she was an infant? You go, girl!

The lovely breeze howling in the Gulf of Maine never made it to the lake today. But what a bunch of optimists: we all were so sure that it would be there any minute. And when the first guy began to de-rig we thought that would be a suitable sacrifice to Aeolus. But we suffered the same fate as the guys on Champlain at the Doc Fellows last weekend.
In reality, it was great because how often do you actually get to have a long deep conversation with fellow iceboaters? We rush to set up and get sailing, we wave in passing and chat on the ice at line-ups, and then back at the pits we pack up and go. Days like this are needed every now and then to connect deeper with kindred souls willing to stare at a limp thread of yarn for hours on end.

The weekend is shaping up beautifully, though. Stand by for reports.

Now that the gear has been patched and the wounds licked we can get back to business. Winds building nicely throughout the day, rain not dripping until after dark.

Lloyd sent this observation from yesterday:

“That was John C. sailing Fred’s Gambit. I saw him fall out, no hike or anything. The Gambit was circling in maybe 50-100 foot circles. John, after a few near catches, figured out that he had to catch it on the up wind side just after it luffed. He fell in and resumed command none the worse for wear. Fred tried for the elusive 40 MPH award, now named “Cheap Thrills 40″ by Doug Raymond. Award design on drawing board. Fred got up to 35.4 MPH, probably good for 40 on clean ice, it is within reach.”

Thanks to everyone who took off their boots and cleats when going into the clubhouse. It’s a good thing to be a considerate guest…