Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

Two days of great sailing on grade 9 ice with lots of interesting boats and sailors. The plate was about the size of Plymouth Pond as the main part of the bay was blocked by slush/pressure ridges. A couple of guys from Rhode Island and Ramblin Roger rounded out the road warriors. All the other thirty plus boats were local. Imagine that: Nites, Arrows, Yankees, C Skeeters and DN’s. All in full sun with a wind that never quit, contrary to all forecasts. One more lesson driven home: just be there, no matter what say’s the weatherman!

All kinds of trailers. Denis, is it time to improve the graphics on the little one?

There were two slush pits, one of which was discovered by a slow moving Yankee. We went back to get cones to mark the spots but everyone thought we were setting up racing marks and no sooner was this one set in place that a two-up Yankee came by and cut the mark pretty close. By some miracle he got across it with only a shocked look on his face. You can see his track above. The CIBC needs to be more proactive in setting marks. Traffic control is improved, sailing skills are honed, and it’s fun!

Thanks to Jimmy’s wife for bringing coffee and donuts today, and to Dan Clapp for all the subs yesterday. And to Ramblin Roger for making pizza on the camp stove in his van.

Remember ice like this? Eight hours in the car is a small price to pay after a month of shoveling. The weather this coming week calls for a warm spell with some rain. This plate might not survive, but Red Bank will, and be improved by it. The Sweepstakes are tentatively ON for next weekend. Both Jack Frost and Rocket are on the ice and have been sailing on the crappy ice. Next weekend will see them in their element, along with all kinds of iceboat fun. Stay tuned, tank up, and come for some southern hospitality.

Tom Nichols’ new back scratcher C Skeeter.

Enthusiasm is building for sailing Barnegat Bay Friday and Saturday. Sunday’s weather appears to have been moved ahead to Monday so that day might be a good one, too. Or maybe Sunday’s weather has been moved back to tomorrow as there are rumblings of an inch of snow possible. Naturally, all the really serious iceboaters starved for weeks by heavy snow will have already been there and have had days of terrific sailing, but we mere humans need to wait for the weekend thereby risking calamity. So, just in case we never get to actually see the plate, here’s a link to a drone video shot today in the area of the bay between Bayville and Seaside Hights, the eastern shore of the bay behind which works the pounding surf: Frozen Bay – YouTube

Will the weather out to sea, show up and pray, think ice. Trixie’s Landing, Bayville NJ, Friday.

There are some students at the Alberta Polytech University conducting a marketing/demographic study on iceboats. Liberal Arts may have over-reached a bit on this one, but let’s play along and see what happens. I had a long chat with the team on speakerphone, so they’re legit. They’d like us to take this survey: http://freeonlinesurveys.com/s.asp?sid=qy2ffjm2spexpr7621755 There are just a few questions about the boats and the sport.

Meanwhile, Barnegat Bay is still ON for Friday and Saturday. Launch at Trixie’s Landing, Bayville NJ. Chance for an epic cruise through the marshes south of Barnegat (town) on Saturday, the Edwin Forsythe Wildlife Refuge and the Gunning River.

The blues are over. As Lloyd says, tank up on cheap gas and go for the ice:

Here is Mike Acebo’s comments on this plate:

“This photo is from the pier in Orient Village looking to Shelter Island (+/- 2 miles away) ice as far as you can see. I personally have never seen this so iced in although the Club sailed the stern steerers off this area years ago.”

There are some Skimmers sailing there today, and the forecast indicates that the plate will survive well into the weekend.

Meanwhile at Red Bank NJ on the Navesink River, the NSIYC has tentatively called ON the Sweepstakes for this weekend. It’s a regatta open to all classes sailed out of the historic clubhouse right on the river in Red Bank. Their ice hotline: 732-747-5665 The final call will be made Thursday, but it’s looking very good so far. The NJ font has infiltrated this dispatch, so I’ll continue with reports from that state. Further south on Barnegat Bay, the ISA might be held this weekend if access can be found for the A Skeeter trailers. There is a lovely big plate there reported to be 5″, something the NEIYA might want to investigate for the Easterns.

There will be Mainers heading south; join the convoy!