Lee Spiller spent some time on Sebago recently and found this:
> It’s a long way from being hard enough to iceboat on but I winged on Sebago today and found the surface to be quite firm…less snow than Squam. My skis barely left tracks and you could walk on it without leaving deep prints…I truly believe with the right weather we will be iceboating soon. > Lee
Thanks Lee!
Jeff Kester from New York shared this little gem with any of us hungry enough to make the trip. After this long drought for so many of us, doesn’t this look like grade 10?
Neil says:
“We received word from John Wargo today that Alum Creek Lake just North of Columbus has sailable ice. John sent a picture via text. The ice looks great. The wind will start on the light side tomorrow but get better as the day goes on. With wind 10-15 with gusts to 20 on Saturday. Colin,Taras and Jeff plan on traveling down tomorrow and I plan on getting there Saturday morning. We will be sailing out of the boat ramp on the west side of the lake at the end of Hollenback Road. The coordinates are 4012.748N,8258.294W. If Sundays wind forecast is good we will be staying over and sailing Sunday. If you have a question or need more information give me a call.
Neil Betts
330-240-2271
Just a quick note that Ben Shavits checked Lake Arthur and found 8″ of ice with 50% snow cover. Snow about 1”, grey surface rough, but not too bad. The wind is forecast to be 10 to12 mph. Dave Bishop reported that there is a Winterfest that will be going on tomorrow on the North Shore. Hopefully we will be able to sail to it.
Back on the east coast, actually well beyond the east coast, Carl Jelleme has launched his new Whizz on the lovely Nantucket ice. There are now two more Whizz a-building out there.
He’s in full light air mode with the mast step at the center hole and the sheet blocks set for keeping the mast in full rotation. He reports:
“Finally got #9 on the ice, what a joy to sail…..so comfortable!”
The pits in front of the clubhouse.
Jack Frost and Rocket. Rick Lawrence just called – Jack frost won all three heats for a decisive victory!
Rocket’s accident did not happen during the race, but afterward. It took 20 guys to right her.
The first friendly race for the Class 1 Ice Yacht Challenge Cup was held Sunday in Red Bank. A sweep for Jack Frost.
This cup, raced for by the club’s biggest boats – Jack Frost & Rocket – was put up by the sailors of the North Shrewsbury Ice Boat and Yacht Club, but will now be spending some time with the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club. :
Some A Class sternsteers with Rocket in the background:
The wind died when the snow began to fall:
And can’t resist this shot of the guy with the slack outhaul:
Andy Hudson sent this in about his sailing on Great South Bay last weekend. The ice is out there:
I sailed on Great South Bay, off Sayville Yacht Club last Friday and Saturday. The conditions were epic; I may never see them again. Most of the bay is frozen in a light breeze state. We sailed most of Patchogue Bay and out 3 miles or so most of the way to the beach. The limit was more about how far away was comfortable than anything else. I suspect I could have gone for miles in a westward direction. The YC was most welcoming. Blue point winter ale on tap was excellent. The club itself is located in Blue Point, so they were “early adopters” of the beer.
The “we” is interesting, as the racers were at Mecox Bay and Lake Ronkonkoma. At Blue Point, it was me in a gambit and about 12 scooters. They actually ran and maneuvered well, which is in itself an interesting thing. I am faster of course, but not 5 times faster. There is no rudder; you steer with the jib. There are 4 parallel “runners” running the length of the boat, with angle iron on top. Usually 2 are on the ice, at a time. They are a foot or 2 apart. It’s odd to see their “tracks.” They are designed to float, go over open water, and then (with luck) go back up onto the ice. It is a very comforting thing to follow a scooter over unknown territory. At 300 or more pounds for the boat, and 2 or three people, if they don’t sink, I surely won’t either. If they do, I can do a sharp turn. This does not apply on a pressure ridge. They get a nice little jump. It’s not quite the same for the rest of us. There were some areas that were obviously frozen later. I avoided them, but saw several many with the “tracks.”
The hydrology of the bay has changed. Bellport bay was the spot that usually came in, if only for a short time. Now this portion of Great South Bay does not freeze solid. A new inlet opened courtesy of Hurricane Sandy. The “old inlet” marked on the chart is now “a new inlet.” There is lots of nice warm salt water from the ocean pouring into Bellport Bay now. That makes for a much nicer, cleaner bay though, a good thing. A boat did go through the ice at Bellport Bay, after launching from Shirley, NY. They found some really rotten ice there. After looking at the bay, I am very surprised that they launched at all.
Meanwhile, the forecast for Red Bank is looking dodgy. Might wind up being fine for the big sternsteerers if Thursday’s snow does indeed come down white, but if it goes to rain then record lows Thursday night will flash freeze it. Carol Mittlesdorf took some great shots there on Sunday which will be posted soon.
We’re all rooting for T at the European Championships in Estonia!
Unbeknownst to those of us on the mainland side of the bay, there was a nice sized DN fleet racing over on the ocean side. Their ice was very nice, too, maybe even better. This was filmed on Wednesday, before the dusting of snow graced the plate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbdjEhz_n9s&feature=share
The weather down here looks like a mess this week, but keep tuned to Red Bank NJ weather and see if you can find any love there. If you can, come sail!
Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club 