Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

Bob Lombardo proves the adage that if there’s ice out there, somewhere, the iceaholic cannot rest. But now that Bob’s done we can all relax, stop checking the web cams and begin ignoring the weather forecast.

Thanks for all the great scouting this winter Bob!

“Last day today and I do mean that.
Rode my bike to Togue Pd in Baxter [8mi]. Surface was sublimated but I found good hard ice on the edge, enough to make me happy. Cold enough to skate, full sun, singing birds and no wind. A lovely last day, or early morning I should say. Sad to see a lake with thick ice locked to its shores but with the surface beat to death from the April sun.
I am onto my bikes.

Have a great summer.”
Last day of skating season 2015. Remote Togue Pd. Baxter State Park Maine.

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Phot credit Kate Morrone

I can not think of anyone who has contributed more to the CIBC and the sport of ice boating this past year and every year he has set blades to ice, than Bill Buchholz. The CIBC is proud to add his name to the Warner St. Claire Award for Contribution to Iceboating Award. Bill’s coat tails are long and extend over all bodies of water (frozen) near, far and sometimes remote. His coat tails subtly draw the experienced and novice sailors onto the best ice. If Bill isn’t sailing, you can be sure that no one else in Maine and likely the northeast is on the ice.

During his leadership of Chickawaukee Ice Boaters Inc. Bill Buchholz has done all sorts of things such as collaborating in the design of the “Whizz” class of pocket skeeters and having plans drawn up for same, providing masts for several of them and, not least, demonstrating what a fine ice yacht it is in all regards.  He continues to dig old classic boats out of the woodwork, resuscitate them, and find homes for them.  He is a champion of “touring” ice boating opening our eyes to new ice and getting many of us off our duffs sailing all over the place where we haven’t been before.  He has formed sailing relationships with our Northern neighbors in Canada.  He has this strange winter turned a crummy local season into a continuing series of interesting and challenging sailing experiences.  He has broadened our horizons and concepts of “touring”, adding adventure such as the trips to Moosehead and the recent “100mile race” to our former casual sailing.  Now he is trying to get land sailing going in the “off season”.  He has done a fine job of keeping   “iceboat.me”  timely and interesting with almost real time reporting and fine photography.  He is a fine imaginative and inspiring  leader truly deserving of the recognition of the award.

Bill, thanks for making this years Warner St. Claire award such an easy choice. We all look forward to next and the following seasons with you.

Chickawaukee Ice Boat Club membership at large.

Even though Jim still has his DN rack on the truck, and even though Kate went skiing yesterday with her iceboat trailer just in case there was sailing to be had, and even though Bob Lombardo sends us these awesome photos, I think this time is really it. It would probably be unprecedented if we were to go sailing AFTER the Spring Meeting, and even though that ice will still be up there, we have rain and snow coming. Then there’s that deep glow of fellowship and closure from the meeting today, saying our farewells like summer campers in the fall.

Thanks to Eben and John Stanton for coming all the way to Maine to be there. It means a lot to us. And to everyone else who went all out with the food. Wonderful! The Damariscotta Lake Farm Inn is back in business and open all year. That means rooms for out of state iceboaters next March. It continues to be an excellent venue for the meeting, thanks David Lampton.
As we’ve managed to sail in April for the past few years, even in this rather difficult season, it was decided to hold the Spring Meeting on the last Sunday of the month from now on, just in case there is a slim chance on yet another last sail. It was also moved that the CIBC will hold the Century Marathon annually, and Dave Fortier will see if there is an old CIBC trophy that can be re-purposed. And way-to-go Bob, who just today hit 65 days on the ice AND 65 years old. Thanks for the photos. It doesn’t hurt THAT much…

Scott Woodman, who sold Outlaw this season, found a new boat at the meeting. It’s the Nite builder’s (S&R) answer to the Lockly Skimmer. Thanks to Fred Muser for dragging it back from Wisconsin.

So here’s the Small Lady Singing. Turn up the volume and break out the tissue:
www.youtube.com/embed/ZWpLfncliwU?rel=0

The icehounds keep sniffing out good ice on the big northern lakes, and I would be negligent if it weren’t posted here. Next year let’s have the meeting in May!

Hi Bill.

It’s amazing, but I think we could still sail this weekend if we wanted to.

In Lambton, the level of the water on Lac St. Francois did not increase this week, and cold nights are coming tonight and this weekend.

It must be the same in Lac Megantic.

Denis

Hey Bill
Just to let you know, and I know you have already said you are done, Karl and I are thinking Sunday morning might be a go for Millinocket Lk. Had 16-18″ of ice [heard from the ice fishers mouth and looked in the hole] on Wed.. So temps drop Sat. night. We walked right on from boat launch, road in is a bit soft when it warms up though. Or New England Outdoor Center might work for a launch site. I want 65days and that will get it for me, plus it is my age for the skating season 2015.

Just keeping you in the loop.
Bob

Below, Millinockett Lake

We did it. Our first annual 100 mile race is in the books. The possibility wasn’t looking good on Monday, finding lighter air and the rough ice. But by the time we’d finished dinner, fortified with drink and camaraderie, the call was made to go for the Hundred. After all, all we could do was fail. We scouted the course again first thing in the morning, setting marks 4.2 miles apart. We could have gone further but it meant crossing yet another pressure ridge. As it was we had two marked crossings already on the course. The rules stipulated that you must honor the marked crossings. One was deep in a cove where the ridge tapered out to more of a jump than a bang. Someone likened the whole thing to a big Giant Slalom course, or a rally. It was great fun to have these other elements to deal with, and probably made the long event less boring.

Twelve laps would be 100 miles as the crow flies, but those that finished logged 115-120 miles sailed. There was a favorable slant to the wind, and it was so strong that sailing deep downwind was fast and easy. A soon as you peeled off at the windward mark there was the sun, full in your face for the entire downwind leg: boom to port sun to starboard. At one point during the day, though, the sun was noticeably more to the west and lower. How long have we been out here? The light became razor sharp and we could see the orange marks from far away. The first boat finished in just under three hours. Kate destroyed her sheet block track, but was able to cobble it back together and finish the race an hour later. We were cold, sore, bloody and stiff.

And just as were back at the pits warming up in the sun, waiting for Kate to finish, we realized that we hadn’t asked the last finisher to bring back the marks. We had to get back in the boats for one more lap. But it felt so natural, back in the cockpit on a big frozen lake, aches be damned. The light was long and low, the shore and distant islands seemed to be floating. I took a deep breath of it and will hold it all summer.

Race Results

1. Denis Guertin, W-10

2. Bill Buchholz, W-11

3. Jim Gagnon, Super DN

4. Kate Morrone, BDX

Lee Spiller, Super DN DNF: broken mast

Dave Fortier,Super DN DNF: broken halyard shackle, lost balls

Karin Wilson, DNS: preferred laying on the beach in a sunny lee.

Below, the race committee.

Next year I can see this event taking place on Damariscotta, with the leeward mark at the south end of the narrows. That would give us a ten mile course with only ten laps. We can discuss the details next Sunday at the meeting. Speaking of which, if anyone has anything they’d like to put on the agenda for discussion, please let me know beforehand.

Also for next year, here is a fabulous B&B right on Lac Megantic in the tiny village of Piopolis. They speak very good English, know the lake well, and are very willing to report on conditions there. Piopolis has an excellent launch, with a bar and restaurant with a big fireplace right across the street. The B&B is within walking distance.

Thanks so much to Denis for finding this ice, opening his house for us, and pulling Dave’s stuck car out of the mud. And to Kate, who left home at 4:30am, arrives at ten, sailed 100 miles and drove home. Incredible. And to all the others for bringing food and joy to this final day (I think) of iceboating. And of course, to the Fat Lady for being somewhat flexible…

Ice To Think About.