Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

Strong warm winds out of the south tomorrow should be very entertaining. The plate received a quarter inch of snow this morning which might help protect the ice from the sun for as long as it lasts. The plate appears to be very intact based on yesterday’s touring. The FANGS are open and will eat a boat. Stay clear.
Chaney’s Narrows is passable by pushing along the left hand side. The water is obvious. Launch at Bog Bridge.

It appears that temperatures are running a few degrees warmer on the inland lakes. The old ocean is doing what it does alongshore, tempering the warming as spring approaches. The continental land mass always heats up faster than the coast. That’s not to say we won’t be back at Pushaw or get a shot at Great Pond or Moosehead, but what a short strange winter it’s been.

Just a note on the DN fuselages that competed today. There is some great history here.

First place was taken by the retired hull of multi world champ Karol Jablonksi. Second was a standard issue Ron Sherry hull.
Third place was won by a boat built by the Rolerson boys out on Islesboro, the original SPLINTER. Fourth, another Sherry.
Fifth, a hull built by long time Mass. racer Steve Madden.
And sixth, the very hull that Jan Gougeon built and raced for many years.

A great variety of vintages and verisimilitude.

The Chickawaukee Ice Boat Club held it’s venerable Linc Davis Regatta today on Lake Megunticook. Cool overnight temps froze the slush, and the small craft warning NE breeze filtered nicely onto the lake. It was very shifty, up and down, and at times baffling, but we got in six races on a course bordered by rocks and open water. No going to the corners on this course!

The Linc Davis Cup was first presented in 1977, donated by noted yachtsman Lincoln Davis, father and grandfather to a couple of CIBC iceboating luminaries. All the CIBC greats are on there.

The results:
Jeff Roseberry: 5,4,1,1,1,2. 14
Paul Chamberlan 1,1,3,4,2,4. 15
Tyler Vroman 2,3,2,2,3,3 15
Bill Buchholz 3,2,6,5,4,1 21
Milo Flemming 4,5,5,6,5,5. 30
Tristan Lewis 6,6,4,3,6,6 31
Joos Van Dyke 7,7,7,7,7,7 42

It was very competitive, and could have gone any old way right up to the end. Special tip of the helmet to Tristan Lewis, soft water sailor and very first time ice boater, for jumping in and drinking the kool aid. The conditions were very challenging for the most experienced sailors, but he turned in a stellar performance and we expect to see him in his own boat soon. Thanks to Paul for setting up his spare boat for him.

The course.

And thanks to Jory Squibb for helping with the starts, and to Kalla Buchholz for delivering lunch to the ice.

Looks like it might be a decent day on Megunticook tomorrow. There are a couple of boats still there, come what may.

Mud in the pits, sunscreen on the nose, sailing in light gloves and open collar. Breaking down slowly on slushy ice, taking your time, savoring what feels to be the end of the season.

Sounds like one our our wonderful days in late March. Not this year. That’s how it was this weekend at Lake Farm. Yesterday there were about fifteen boats from all over New England. A Lockley Skimmer made the trip all the way from the Orient Ice Yacht Club on Long Island. Way to go Heather! Mike came up from Massachusetts with Herb Chamberlain’s old NorthEaster. He made great use of a retired walked for bringing tools and runners down to the ice:

Big winds made for great sailing on the recovered surface. A dusting of snow before dawn fell into what remained of the undrained water, slushing it out and letting it freeze. There were a few drain holes, some marked, the others dodged. Shell ice blocked access to the Narrows, but there was plenty of real estate in Great Bay.

The early bird got the wind today, the 8-10 Westerly coming in right on schedule. By noon it was done, and the launch began to show signs of decay. A few boats had the pleasure of fast full lake laps before that sense of impending doom crept in as the sheet lightened and tell tales struggled to stay awake.

Ben Fuller rigged his new stern steerer STREAK, sorting out set up details. Sadly, most boats are off the ice. A few DN’s might be there tomorrow, but other lakes are getting checked as we write. Might be better winds along the coast.

It may feel like the end, but rumors are trickling in from NY and VT…