Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

Now live at http://www.iceboat.me. Use the control bar at the bottom to advance through the pages.

According to Sebago spy Phil Lowe there is ice around islands at the edges of the main body of the lake with some sheets floating around, but basicly the lake is in freeze/blowout mode and with this current storm is is very cold for heavy snow, zero here all day. If the wind stops and the cold stays it will likely set up again. Often it does not ever freeze and often when it does it is in February.

This knee deep snow should sink ice soon and we often have a February thaw to start on the hoped for March sailing, only a month away. Do not despair.

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This turned up in an old file recently and we thought it might help inspire us to have a bit of fun when the snow is gone. It’s coming down here yet again, as it is all over the place. As far as we know, there is no sailable ice anywhere in North America. But eventually we’ll have tons of snow ice and then the opportunity to prove, as below, that there is indeed a “free lunch!”

With all our ice under snow throughout the east, we have time to reflect, catch our breath and sharpen runners. One of the great joys of this sport is finding the ice, but you never really know what to expect until you get there. Bob Lombardo sent this photo from Monday as he and Karl approached Schoodic Lake, north of Milo, for a little skating. This is what quickens the pulse, sets the butterflies loose, sends warm blood to the extremities: rounding the last turn or cresting the hill for the first look at the object of your devotion.

All that ice peeling off into the distance. It’s what you see from Indian Hill in Greenville. After hours of trees and small towns the road rolls over the top and there’s Mooshead, offering ice to the horizon. All the favorite lakes share this kind of approach, even Chickawaukee from the downhill on Rt.17.

So, yes, it’s only been two days since the end of time, but the best of the season is yet to come. We’ll probably hear from southern New England or New Jersey first. There might be a regatta at Red Bank soon. If you have any interest in iceboat history then make a point of showing up there and having a drink at the yacht club after the race. North Shrewsbury, NJ Ice Yacht Club.