Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

Dogs just need to be dogs. If there is a scent, it’s not possible for them to ignore it so they give chase. So it appears to be with iceboaters. We sniff ice and there’s just no way to sit still and ignore it. Even if there’s already been wonderful “end of season” sails with all the attendant drama of setting out planks, and wading through slush and self congratulations on how lucky we were to get this particular day. Just over the horizon is a tremendous plate of ice, the biggest in Maine, just waiting for a surface. Three to four feet of shore bonded ice on one of the most dramatically beautiful lakes in the east, with all due respect to Winnepesaukee and Champlain.

The web cam at Rockwood did not look encouraging mid week, nor did the wind forecast. But the temps suggested a firming up of the surface, and by noon Thursday the wind was called for 10-15 with gust to twenty. And that’s just what we got.
The Southeasterly blew right up the lake steady as a train all day. The surface was hard and smooth most of the day and we could cover the lake with abandon. We’d agree to sail to some distant point, island or remote cove and then just do it: miles and miles and miles. No pressure ridges, cracks or holes out in the main body. Some of the shallow points and narrow straights were open but out on the broads you could be sailing along, go below for a cup of coffee and come back up only to find more miles ahead.

Captains Gautin, Squibb, Bunting and Rindlaub. The surface looks like crap in the photo, as it did in the web cam, but the runners ran silent.

The launch called for carrying boats as the proper ramp was rotted out from a nearby stream but many hands made light work of it. The launch at Greenville was in much better shape but was in a deep lee.

A little house on a tiny island a long way from anywhere. The landscape designer needs a deep tip of the helmet.

There’s a half mile of ice between the mouth of this river and Mt. Kineo. The big question now is what to do about all that ice. Rain is forecast for tomorrow which will wet out the few snow drifts and help compact the slush. The slush itself is very thin, maybe a half inch, with fine hard ice just under. Do we keep an eye on it like the dog on a bone just because he’s programmed to? Do we listen to the fat lady and walk away? It will only take another couple of cold nights to provide a good surface. Is there anyone out there who doesn’t want to bury the bone of this season, but who wants to continue chewing on it? Right down to the very marrow? Que sera sera.

Each time she tries to sing either she slips on the ice or her lips freeze. And Moosehead Lake is so hard of hearing that she just can’t get through up there. Those three feet of ice covered with twelve inches of slush refuse to listen. Therefore, it is incumbent upon our club to go give it a shot. By Friday there will have been two cold nights, one low teens and one low twenties. We’ve had many “Miracles on Slush” before, so we believe this surface should firm up enough to sail on. Our snowmobile tour guide spy also reports he’s seen no pressure ridges.

That said, we offer no guarantees and no refunds. Just a notice that Denis, Curtis, Jory and myself will be at the Rockwood public ramp Friday morning about 8:00 and would love to see you there.

The view over the bow on Moosehead last April.

Map of Maine Public Boat Ramps | MapMuse

We’re a couple of days behind Chickawaukee with four inches of pencil ice. I could get through the dark perimeter with the kayak, but not the white center. Just for the record, four inches of white pencil ice will hold 160# and even withstand aggressive boot stomping. But you didn’t hear it here!

Here is a fascinating bit of ice crystal. The vertical part is the usual rotten formation and I believe the curving part, with horizontal crystals, is an ice fishing hole. They always freeze differently from the surrounding ice and now we see the crystals behaving oddly, like they really want to go vertical but just can’t get with the program.

I am looking out the window at a motorboat where the ice was yesterday. I was however the first boat (canoe) on the pond yesterday and had a nice trout rise to a vintage “daredevil”. A little residual along the SE shore will likely disappear by Sunday. Water temp 45 at beach, 8 long months to refreeze.

Iceman

—
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com

Sebec was our Ace in the Hole, but according to Bob Lombardo there are holes in our Ace. The web cam there was indeed looking very good; the best of the northern lakes for wetting out. But the next cold night there will be Tuesday, with days in the fifties until then and light rain on Wednesday morning. Seems like we’re beating a dead horse. There was a false alarm for Lac St. Francois in Quebec the other day: too much slush and not enough cold.

Time to take out the ear plugs and listen to the lovely lady of corpulence riffing on the coming of spring. She’s been in the background for quite a while but now has taken those few steps and moved twenty feet to the front of the stage: now she’s a star!

With that in mind, it’s safe to announce that the spring CIBC meeting will be at Lloyd’s house on Saturday May 3, mid-morning to late afternoon. Bring a dish to share for lunch and any interesting iceboat stuff to show or sell. Club business meeting to follow lunch. 140 Porter St. Rockport, Me 04856

All are welcome, members as well as potential members. We have a lot of followers here at the CIBC blog who tell us what great pleasure they get from following the iceboating. Now, one doesn’t need to be an iceboater to become a member of the club, although as a club that’s our ultimate goal. Also, one doesn’t need to be a member to enjoy the exploits of the club through our posts and photos. But to remain a viable institution the club needs a strong base of supporting members. Won’t you join today? Please send $20.oo cash to Lloyd Roberts, Treasurer, at the above address. Thanks!