Dave Fortier and I plan to meet at 10:30 at Raymond Beach to sail and explore the outer limits of Jordan Bay.
It looks like this; the glassy parts are not water but almost black ice. What a great way to honor the opening of Martin Luther King day weekend. Join us if you can. We’ll get Moosehead another time. Awesome venues don’t come easy.
CIBC sailors have declined to gamble on a marginal wind forecast on the weekend. However, Lee Spiller skated Jordan Bay today and called in a very sailable report. Winds there are better, mainly tomorrow and Sunday. If we can rouse the hibernating membership from their tropical stupor we’ll be sailing there.
Stand by.
I have a dream for this weekend: miles and miles of Black Ice. I have been to the mountain (Kineo) last year and my dream is that all the iceboaters of the world step out of their frustrated lives and go to the mountain and see the promised land with me!Rockwood on Moosehead Lake
Speaking with a snowmobile tour operator in Greenville minutes ago confirmed that there are very few drain holes, 15″ of ice as of last Saturday, and that the pack is tight to the shore everywhere, as far as he knows. The image from the web cam speaks for itself. The forecast is for south 5-10 with a 30-40% chance of snow showers between now and Saturday.
Is there motivation out there? How hungry are we? Anybody want to go?
5 days into Jan Thaw; ice further from shore so plank just reaches, water level up 6 inches in 2 days from 1 1/4 inch rain and snow melt. Drain holes bigger, no puddles or shell ice left, pancakes have deflated to depressed rough spots. Need 2 cold nights to heal holes to minimum 1 1/2 inch, better 3 nights to 2 inches, likely snow by then. What kind of “sport” is this?
Iceman
Nice spreads of ground glass smooth snow ice, also many patches of paper thin shell ice, some with residual water in deeper ripples. Rare areas of smooth 1/4in. shell covered still unfrozen pools, maybe 1 inch deep. Occasional linear and spidery drain holes, mostly in older black ice which is 6-8 inches thick along open cracks but only 2-3 inches under some coarse swiss cheese snow ice with under lying water.
This is skateable and bikeable with some attention, somewhat treacherous for ice boat sailing. Five feet of open water at Lloyd’s beach, plank in place. Public park launch ramp not checked but ice tight to shore away from ramp yesterday. No cold weather for another couple of days.
Public opinion (Mountain Bike Review Forum) on floating mountain bikes, they don’t, 5 votes to 1. Andy Donovan in Biddeford, recent member now Gambit owner, remembers his kids building a jump into the water for their mountain bikes, the bikes sank. Flotation is in order.
Iceman
Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club 