Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

We do things a bit differently than the folks in Minnesota. We find obscure little lakes in the middle of nowhere, watch the conditions ebb and flow, and then pounce. Lake Abenakis, in Ste. Aurelie Quebec was ready to go last week, then was hit with snow, and now the recent warm spell has melted the snow. There’s an inch of slush over the original two inches which is about half frozen today. Temps tonight are at about freezing. There’s no guarantee, but we think the combination of cold from the two inch plate, at freezing air temps, and a little breeze will finish the job by morning.

The big push to attempt it tomorrow is the wind. By Tuesday, when it will absolutely be solid, the wind has gone. Same for the rest of the week: a big high has just parked itself there. But it might be great for the skating crowd, but as you can see, it’s not the usual sheet of glass-black ice.
So, anyone up for the Eastern Challenge? Up through Jackman on US 201, cross the border and hang a right.

What Outlaw really needs instead of the upside down high aspect storm sail 2.0 is a Cheap Skate nice low aspect long boom Sunfish rig carried high enough to clear the roll bar, not much higher really that the over the sitting skippers head rig of the Cheap Skate. The magic of the Lateen rig would solve the center of effort steering problem, especially in heavy air when a deep luff is carried in the forward part of the sail moving side and forward thrust well aft. As a bonus the hiking moment would be reduced, probably to never hike at all.

Lloyd

The snow has indeed fallen on Lake Abenakis. But there is ice under it, and with the weather being above freezing as much as below, a surface could develop. We’ll know more when our Ice Ace checks it on Sunday. For now, it’s the only game in town. Plymouth is just barely hanging on.

But in other development news, Scott Woodman has reached way outside the box for his new storm sail inspiration:

Rumble seat Skeeters are notorious for poor steering habits, and Outlaw was no exception. But Scott shifted the plank and mast step, re-cut the sail, and managed to get her to handle very well in moderate conditions. But flying the storm sail moved the center of effort forward and the dreaded lee helm returned. Not what you want in high wind conditions.
So here we have Storm Sail 2.0. As much sail area as possible is kept aft, and the forwardmost patch is cut away. Personally, your editor thinks it’s thing of abstract beauty and should be mounted on a weathercocking pedestal somewhere along Route One for all to wonder about. During the off-season only, of course, because Outlaw will be in full time service all winter, come what winds may blow!

The ice on Plymouth Pond that Bryan Hitchcock found for us last week managed to survive the warm weather over Thanksgiving. The edges melted in places but they are now buttoned up again. By walking very lightly we were able to get thickness samples from the old ice of about an inch. There were slivers of open water in the distance.

Chances are she’ll survive the pending round of warmth and come out the other end set to freeze thick.

Meanwhile, reports from Quebec are infiltrating the border with news of 2″ of black ice. This lovely plate is just starting to get de-flowered by freezing rain, and to complete the utter degradation will be blanketed Thursday in 5-8″ of snow. Why do I share this stuff? Tis a far, far better thing to have lost at lust than never to have lusted at all!

I love these cold november mornings……20 degrees at 7 AM…..The jungle telegraph has been tapping: Jory to Bill: “check the swamp! I’m trapped in Thanksgiving”…. Bill to Jory: “0.382 inches. Will probably blow out”…. Jory to Paul, an avid skater: “found any ice?”….. no response…. I know exactly how to interpret that…..Last year, as I sat on the edge of the swamp, trying to meditate it into a weight-bearing thickness, Paul had found a river estuary shielded from those early-ice enemies–wind and sun–and was skating his heart out amid the cat-tails.

Last year, wonder of wonders, we were on Plymouth Pond on November 22 and 23. This year is an “El Nino” year with predicted mild weather. That may mean a late start and early end, but, as Bill points out, we may have more resurfacings of the ice in especially good thaws, for the “middle season”. Maybe we won’t even have a middle season! Actually, after the trials of last season’s frigid temps, the entire weeks when we were below zero, the early snow cover, the weeks of snowed-out frustration; I’m ready to take my chances with El Nino.

I’ve improved my iceboat with a jam-cleat for the sheet (Lloyd would be scandalized!). I’ve improved my body with shoulder surgery, and a strong committment to thrice-weekly strength training. And–especially in what may be a quirky season–I’m more determined than ever…..absolutely hot-dipped galvanized….to grab every snippet of ice, any time and any where! Watch out 2016 season! Here we come!