Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

Damariscotta Jan 6 2017, plenty of wind, most boats wearing storm sails and tearing around on 8-10 ice. Found GPS, changed batteries, remembered how GPS worked, acquired satellites, “ready to navigate”, witnessed zero (Bill Bunting), played with unaccustomed heavy air, summoned resolve to seek red line, peeled off of cautious luffing, hung on to Cheapy’s minimal cockpit side with elbow, and let her rip. Couple of downwind reaches across glassy ice to get feel of high end speed, 39.5 mph. The magic 40 (predicted years ago by local gurus) seemed within reach, try harder. Trying harder produced a real hike, a rare event in Cheapskate, almost loss of control on hike recovery almost ejecting skipper, and frightening apparent speed. The apparent speed, GPS “Max Speed” window, (accollade of trumpets in background), 42.7 MPH ! Mission accomplished. It felt like 60 in a DN, beyond fun zone.

Captain Roberts

Chicky looks like early April. Open waters getting larger, accesses getting wider. No good. Maybe single numbers for 3 days soon will bring it back. Surface like ground glass. Dusting of snow shows open waters nicely this AM. Go to Damariscotta.

No snow forecast for almost a week. Ice is magnificent. Wind today offered one tack shots from Muscongus Bay to the pits in minutes. Best ever, etc. I’m too wind blown and sun burnt to think.

Picture yourself on this ice, in a huge gybe going 50mph. Yea, it was like that. Everywhere. Frank and Denis, Jory and Bunting, Fortier, Eric Anderson and Steve Madden scouting for a weekend regatta tba., Lloyd and Bob in cheapies, Scott and Doug in Skimmers. Smiles all around.

Round the islands, Deep Cove, SW Arm. Some water at points and shoals. !2″ ice in the SW Arm, 6″ everywhere else. One pressure ridge just north of the narrows marked with a branch and could be sailed over today; maybe not tomorrow. Stop and check.

Wind held until sunset. We just couldn’t quit. Light air tomorrow. Better wind at Megunticook. Cam Lewis reports similar stellar conditions there. But boats are on Dammy. See you there in the morning.

Bunting says the ice checks out and the surface will be fine, but it looks like Trixie wants to go back ashore and scrounge a lunch. Plate has not been checked for drain holes. Ramp is clear.

This is about what we had a few days ago:

SW winds 10-15, sunshine. The inn is open for dinner after 4:00. Narrows, South End, Deep Cove, etc?

Light and variable winds, shell ice and rain combined to make yesterday not one of the best days of iceboating. We put up with shell when there was a puff and tried to tack on the smooth stuff, but when it began to rain the whole exercise just seemed to be a stretch. Scott Woodman, David Jones and I packed up. Jory played his cards better, though. He’s a water rat, so he sat out the rain. It passed, and behind it was a very crisp SE breeze, the one we’d been waiting for all day. He make a quick loop into Davey Jones Locker, but took off when he realized I wanted to borrow his boat. He was last seen vanishing in the mist deep down the Western Way.

This is what makes it a sport. It’s not just how you do rounding the marks, but how you play the forecast and conditions. Jory was willing to get wet in hopes of more wind, others weren’t. He won.

Damariscotta seems to have wet out this morning. We’ll try to get a look at it today, but either way tomorrow has the best wind of the next few days. The weekend is looking good as well.