Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

Well things didn’t workout as planned today. Ten boats showed up to sail. There was plenty of wind and, at times, way too much. Combine that with skim ice over the areas where the snow drifts had melted into puddles and you have some hairy sailing because either your rear runners would break loose from the ice and the boat would skid sideways or your steering runner wouldn’t bite so you couldn’t turn while you were barreling towards shore. The forecast called for the wind gusts to slowly drop but I saw no sign of that happening while I was there. Most of the boats went out several times to see if things improved, but by 14:00 it was pretty clear that we wouldn’t be comfortable sailing today. However, it wasn’t all bad because everyone hung around and gabbed in the bright sunshine. Eight of the ten boats were left on ice so we could do it all over again tomorrow. (See Photo Below) The forecast is for temperatures as low as 10 degrees tonight and more moderate SW winds tomorrow. So I’m looking forward to a better day tomorrow.

This is a big lake, centrally located, with three launch ramps. Why it hasn’t been on the CIBC radar for all these years is a mystery. There is a round part, roughy two miles across, and then a long skinny part six miles long. A lovely narrows with a picnic area connects the two.

W-10 and W-2 did the whole lake today, top to bottom and side to side. And then did it again just to be sure. With winds blowing twenty gusting to thirty it was quick work. There are four pressure ridges: sail over or around, and one at the very top near China village that we could not cross. So that previous claim is actually bogus: there remains a quarter mile to conquer. They said you can’t sail to China in an iceboat and they were right!

At this point the East Vassalboro launch is preferred, but with spring weather bearing down on us this week, time is limited.

Wind forecast tomorrow is marginal. There was another fleet sailing today from Lake Farm. There are eight boats on the ice looking forward to moderate winds and healed shell ice. The shell there was a bit of an issue today.

And speaking of big winds, the storm sails you see in the top photo are designed by Henry Bossett and built by Mark Beaton, at Beaton Sails, Mantaloking, NJ. There is no better sail for a DN rig and conditions like we had today. It has just enough power to see you through the light spots that one comes across on even the most blustery days, yet flat enough to reach top speed comfortably in winds like we had today.
How much does it cost? Today it was priceless!

After day one at the Northwest, Paul Chamberland and Jeff Roseberry are in 4th and 5th place, respectively in the DN fleet. There are stern steer steerers, A Skeeters, and everything in between at this historic regatta, last held in 2019. The rest of the Eastern contingent must be keeping their powder dry for the North Americans, due to start Monday.
See www.iceboat.org for standings and more info, and we’ll see you on the ice at Dammy today!

The photo below was taken by Ralph Ferguson at the Lake Farm launch on Damariscotta Lake around noon today. It looks like most of snow drifts are wetted out and should freeze up overnight. The forecast is for sunshine with 4-15 mph NW winds and up to 25 mph gusts. I am planning to be at Lake Farm by 10:00. Hope to see everyone there.

Sailing at Lake Farm on Saturday?? Watch this space

“Resist much, obey little.” Walt Whitman