Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

While we’ve been pondering Plymouth and praying for Pushaw to finish her freeze, Millinocket Lake has been quietly freezing away. Reports from the New England Outdoor Center tell about snow mobiles riding over miles of ice. Ice, not snow. The NEOC has been an unrealized holy grail of the CIBC since forever. They have nice rooms, a great restaurant and bar, a launch site right on the lake, and access to the South Twin/ Amberjesus lake network. A regular destination iceboat sailing resort. We’ve never been there.

Snow is forecast for the region Tuesday. If, by some miracle the snow passes south, the wind forecast for the rest of the week is less than inspiring enough to get our southern ice sailing buddies to make the drive.

But, stand by for updates as intel comes in and the weather does what it will.

First Sail of Last Season Plymouth Pond 12:16:24 youtube.com

Many thanks to Dan Stillman for making this!

Five boats braved the boring forecast to make the trip to Plymouth with hope. The worst that could have happened is we push the boats around, searching for a puff and getting some good exercise. Not to mention catching up with old friends and making sure all the pins are in place and the alignment right. And then there’s the greasy pizza at the Plymouth Store for lunch.

As it turned out the wind came on strong and blew all day, first from the west and then later backing to the south where it was forecast. But the windspeed was easily double: steady ten with some hiking gusts. The ice was a solid four inches with one small patch of 2” which, as we were marking it, Dave sailed across to stress test it. What a guy!

In addition to Fortier, we had CIBC Secretary Jim Turner, Event organizer Michael Young, Videographer Dan Stillman, and your correspondent.

At Sabattus Lake, Lee Spiller found a fabulous plate of black ice. He reports that the lake has been lowered five feet. Is it the drought, or an intentional draw down?

We haven’t sailed Sabattus for many years now. Let’s hope this plate survives the coming week.

A small fleet will assemble at Plymouth tomorrow at around ten, hoping for a small breeze to fill in. The forecast isn’t great, but it will be warm and sunny.

Ice is four inches, a bit thinner at the launch. Fine to walk on but please do not drive on or back your trailer on to the ice.

Hope to see you there.

Our Eastern guys are putting on a good show out there in Starbuck. At the ISA, Chris Gordon and Chad Atkins are but one point away from each other in the top half of the Renegade fleet.
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In the DN’s, Roseberry and Chamberland are showing what nearly two weeks of practice will do for you.

They are up against some very fast sailors. If Roseberry can pick off Mike Bloom he’s been promised a cool jacket just like Mike’s. The forecast for tomorrow is just about perfect for great racing so stand by for the final standings then.

Up in Quebec Denis hooked up with the Thedford Mines DN fleet and had a wonderful day on 6” of nice ice. They’ve had plenty of snow up there so this plate was a rare treat. Good for them for getting right out on it.

Thanks for the photo Denis!

Lastly, here in Maine, Plymouth Pond sits there lonely and inviting. Sadly, no one went sailing today as far as we know. It will be there until Tuesday when rain is forecast for the following three days.