Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

Buckets of wind yesterday kept the fleet huddled behind the point at Bailey’s Cove yesterday. The tall pines were working hard to remain tall and not fall. We’d poke our bow runners out every now and then for a hit and if we managed to get out of the Broads and into the Western Reach in one piece we could tack north where there are plenty of relaxing lees. As long as you didn’t get nailed by a gust on a lee shore things worked out.

Dave Buckley had his outhaul destruct and get launched into low orbit, and John Eastman snapped the pennant on his reefed sail causing the halyard to scurry for cover inside the mast. He dashed home for a plumbers chase and was back out there for another good thrashing within the hour. Our Canadian friends, who had been calling for more wind the day before, decided they had a long drive ahead of them and quit while they were ahead.

Trying to get back to the pits the long way around.

Mike Acebo from Long Island in his modified J-14. C. Rindlaub photos

Looks like all kinds of precipitation in the next few days with a warming spell at the end. This might Zamboni Damariscotta for next weekend. Also, Tom Childs send this report from Sebago:

The boys and I sailed lower bay of Sebago today. The entire bay is 4-5” of clean glorious rock-hard ICE!! There are rough spots along the shore and other areas, but my estimate would be that 70-80% is 8+ with areas of 10+ (Can you believe that…10+!). WARNING: the main body of the lake is wide open. Use common sense and stay well in bounds of the lower bay proper. Also, there is a good sized pressure ridge along the westerly side of the bay. Cross it with caution and you may find some of that 10+ stuff we all need once in a while. Anyway, if anyone has the day off tomorrow, they would be wise to take advantage of this spectacular, early, plate of wintery goodness.

Wide eyed with wonder, like kids on Christmas morning, is the best way to describe the small fleet of DN sailors who were discovering the charms of Megunticook for the first time today. At each bend, Denis and Francois from Quebec, and Curtis from Peaks Island, were convinced that this was the end of the lake, but no: there’s yet another straight and bay. We covered the entire lake with abandon in the 10-20kt northwester. The usual hazzards at the Fangs were beginning to show their teeth, but aside from that all we had to watch for were pop-ups and the occasional strong gust. Francois must be a windsurfer in his summer life as he kept asking for more wind!

Dave and Kristin Buckley made the trip from Newport for the weekend, and Hal from Friendship had his second sail in his new DN. John Eastman plans to sail his new Mead tomorrow, as well as the Able brothers. John Hanson and Ben Fuller will have their stern-steerers, parties planned for Cam Lewis’s up north, and at Polly Saltonstall’s at the southern end. Kristin will be grilling burgers at Baily’s Cove. We will attempt to get some sailing in, too!

Hope to see you there. Launch at Bog Bridge, pits at Baily’s Cove. Ice fisherman are driving on the ice, so I guess we can too, but you didn’t hear it here!

Just a quick note to add to the previous post that we’ll be sailing Megunticook on Saturday as well. There might be a few boats sailing on Chickawaukee tomorrow and the weekend too, but with The Queen Lake in such great shape it would be a shame to miss it. Temps will have shot up to the low twenties by then.

Bill and I had another exciting day on Megunticook today, Thursday, until cold fingers finally drove us ashore in the middle afternoon. Wearing a full-face helmet helped the facial chill. Ice and wind, again 10-25 Kn, were excellent. With lead aboard, both of us are feeling much more confident in winds which would normally require storm sails. I wish I’d known about lead years ago!

But the big news is that an Ice Frolic is planned for Sunday at Cam Lewis’s place, on Fishing Rock Road in Lincolnville, right on the north end of Megunticook. The Sauna will be hot, with a hole cut in the ice as a cold plunge; the grill will be going with Maine-grown steer-burgers; and all sorts of ice activities will be going on: skating, skimbatting, possibly hockey, and iceboating. Bring some food to share, and a swimming suit and towel for the sauna.

If you trust the wind, you can iceboat in to the party from Bog Bridge, which is about 3.5 miles away. Wind is predicted to be about 10Kn and temp a balmy 15 degrees. Otherwise you can see what you can do at Cam’s. Parking there is limited, and the carry to the water is about 100 yards. What you might do is plan a day of sailing from Bog Bridge, and then, if the wind favors, come to the party.

if you’re coming by boat, the map of Megunticook, showing Cam’s Sauna, and Davy Jones’ launch area, near Bog Bridge, in on the previous post.

If you’re coming by car, here is cam’s place. he’s right at the end of Fishing Rock Road:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Fishing+Rock+Road,+Lincolnville,+ME&hl=en&sll=45.188406,-68.984705&sspn=5.442796,9.931641&oq=fishing+rock+roa&hnear=Fishing+Rock+Rd,+Lincolnville,+Waldo,+Maine+04849&t=m&z=16

all the best, jory