Commodore Stanton put on a terrific show at Steve and Linda Lamb’s shop in Canton, MA yesterday. In addition to learning to stone runners, a review of the rules of the road and plenty of food and drink, we got to help a new sailor refine her setting up, adjusted her alignment and repaired a crack along the edge of the cockpit. She sails on a small lake in New Hampshire in a small fleet of DN’s and will take her new found skills back there and spread them out. Way to go Chris!

Jay Whitehair made some iceboat models that we used to simulate rules situations, first in an informal fun discussion, and later T walked us through a number of crossing, overtaking and mark rounding situations. He also laid out a recent crash, deconstructing exactly what happened. Basically, a boat was giving way and ducked under the stand on boat only to find another boat directly behind him, who had been hidden by the first boat.

Eben Whitcomb gave a demonstration on runner stoning techniques, basically how to finish the edge after sharpening. Very informative, and lively conversation was stimulated by lots of excellent questions.

At the very end of the day a call came in from Maine. Rob Dmitiof made a last minute decision to move up from the Lockley Skimmer and buy Steve Lamb’s red Renegade El Diablo. There was a mad scramble to round up all the parts and pieces, but with help from the entire crew the trailer was packed and on the way to Maine before sundown. Congratulations Rob!

How strong is the draw to new black ice? Even if the plate is too skecthy for sailing, the need to just be on it is magnetic. Two cases in point. One ice hound got the call for ice at Thanksgiving dinner. In full confidence he continued drinking and eating, and then simply drinking. When he made his way home he realized all the skating and skate sailing gear was in a part of the house behind some carefully applied plastic sheeting, as he was in the middle of an interior renovation. But the draw pulled. He rounded up a ladder, ascended to the second floor window, and rolled over the sill onto the floor where all the gear lay waiting. Back down the ladder, load the car and off to bed for an early departure.

Ice hound number two was happily ensconced at his girlfriend’s house on a Maine island, a long way from ice. With the balmy maritime climate caressing the happy couple ice was the furthest thing from his mind. But the call came. Next morning he was out the door at three AM, drove back to his house on the mainland and had a nice breakfast after rounding up all his long dormant skate gear. He made a phone call.

Ice hound number three got the call in bed and was out the door in fifteen minutes.

It was full glide on black ice as dawn folded into day.

If there was wind, there would have been careful sailing.
Now, all the above scrambling for gear was only for ice skates! Imaging if they had to round up iceboats, planks, runners, tools, stands, spares, etc. Are you ready? The call will come, it always does. Be the one there.

xx

Thanksgiving is a time to re-connect with old friends. The best friend of iceboaters is early season black ice. It’s the faithful return each year of this magical, mysterious stuff that keeps us focussed on the fun to come.

Plymouth Pond has three inches along shore, out about 100’ where there is an obvious transition to 2”. There are other obvious thinner areas down to an inch, but no open water anywhere. The three inch plate tapers down to 2 1/4” as you follow the shore heading south.

It’s a very skatable stretch, and it might be that one could work down into the marshes along the shore. There is a small, thin plate in this band of three inch ice as you begin to move south.

So, what would you rather do tomorrow: go shopping or skate Black Ice?

Just across the border in the little village of Ste. Aurelie lay two of our early lakes: Lac Joli and Lac Abenakis. Denis Gueertin went ice checking today and found three inches on Joli and two on Abenakis. Sadly, the ice is covered with a crusty mess; they’ve been getting a consistent dripping of snow for a few days. But there is rain in the forecast, just enough to tidy things up, hopefully.

Lac Abenakis, right in downtown Ste. Aurelie.

Below, Lac Joli, a few miles outside of town and at a higher elevation.

Plymouth Pond might be getting close, but chances are it won’t survive the warm spell if it does freeze in the next day or so.