Most of ice 4 1/2 inch thick grade 9-10. Large marked (four red buoys)hole 300 yds from Lloyd’s heron beach is still open producing a long blown plume of water downwind. Other holes seen previously ware now 2+ inches. Tonight forecast 12 F should add another 1/2-3/4 inch to those. Pressure ridge near beach marked by two red buoys at ends.
Sailors welcome to Heron beach tomorrow, Monday Dec 26. Lloyd
The 3/8 inch layer of wet snow/dry slush on Chicky is wetting out or melting this AM, see photo. Rain later in day and warm XMas temp and sun should finish the job. 12 F forecast for Sunday night may give us a Christmas present for Monday. Snow and rain forecast for Monday night and Tuesday may kill it again, so soon. We have marked a swimming hole about 300 yards out from Roberts’ heron beach and a closer pressure ridge. Stay tuned,
This is the scene yesterday on Megunticook, sailed by Jory and Lloyd:
So this morning, with the trees lightly swaying and all that ice only minutes away, Jory and I sailed it. There was a very nice charge of wind in Polly’s Folly Bay which held nicely up between Fang and Crane Islands. It was just as nice as Damariscotta and nearly as silent running as Pushaw. The rush of the wind was the loudest sound and with no hazzards you could close your eyes and imagine flight.
Jory saw the snow coming, and in no time the sheet was white, There was very little wind in the broads. The snow was piling up on the push back. The gear in the pits was nearly buried. Sailed hard and put away wet: was it worth the effort for and hour of sailing like that? Absolutely. While we all suffer from “on the fence syndrome” about packing up and going sailing, are there any times you regretted going? Non that I can think of.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Black Ice under the tree.
Jory and I circumnavigated Chicky, lovely ice as apparently everywhere, about 3 inches with 1 1/2 on recently closed holes, but not all holes closed yet. Most of what seemed open water at the South end day before yesterday must have been mirage as it disappeared in afternoon. It will take another cold snap, none in sight now.
Megunticook, where we paused to check on the way to Dammy, was breathtaking, so we stayed for gentle sailing on glass 3 inches thick. The northern reaches and bays were not explored due to light air. We hope it survives Thursday’s ” showers” of snow and rain for colder weather next week sometime. Lloyd
