Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

It was an incredible three days of giant ice and perfect wind on Moosehead Lake. Comfortable rooms and good food a walk from the launch site, it just does not get any better. The scenery, mountains all around, Mount Katahdin to the northeast, even a tour to Mount Kineo Tuesday afternoon. 

I must thank Bill for posting often and sharing the happenings on the ice in semi-realtime to http://www.iceboat.me. Another thing that Commodore Bucholz is good at, remembering that he has a camera with him and snapping some photos.

Cruising with Denis and Bill is definitely a trip, as Bill has a good knowledge and memory of the geography of the lake, the frontier abounds. Also, there is no pressure ridge these guys do not want to cross. And many times there is some freaking nice big ice beyond. One of our explorations was into Moose Bay behind and west of Moose Island. There was a great piece of ice there, that we ripped around on before we stopped at Bob Bartlett’s place, a super groovy log cabin that he is constructing. When leaving Moose Bay, we were able to sail over the ridge we had scouted on the way in.

The sail to Kineo the day before was very exciting especially the downwind sail back to the launch. We all were sailing FAST, and I spun out, fortunately Bill had the attention and skill to avoid my boat.

In the afternoon Wednesday most everyone was packing up for the ride home, Karen and T thought a sight seeing cruise on Moosehead was in order, so off we went. The temperature had risen and there was at least an inch and a half of corn that was definitely slowing my SDN with 1/4 inch plates. When we got to the pressure ridge crossing, I thought it best that I head back to the launch, and at that time Jos Van Dyke arrived, so off the three of them sailed.

I sailed back to the launch, and so had plenty of time to disassemble and pack my gear. I was able to bag all my gear and get all but the fuselage onto the top of my car. The wind had seemed to wane, and the time was about 1700. I could see about three miles north, no DNs in sight. I was texting with Eben Whitcomb as I had sent him the photo of all the boats lined up in front of Kelly’s Landing. So I told him of the DNs still out there, and that I had texted, and called T with no answer. At about 1740 I spotted boats, and the wind was still blowing, and the sun above the horizon, so all was good. 

The  wind hung in there, and actually had increased a bit toward the end, and everyone was moving well going downwind. As the boats got close enough for me to see the sailors in the boats, I noticed that T and Jos had switched boats. Come to find out that in the light air, T had swapped boats with Jos, as T was able to keep the classic DN moving, and T’s perfectly tuned boat was able to keep Jos moving. 

Jos was able to pack up and head south while T and Karen were starting to break down gear, and T helped me get my SDN onto my roof rack. Meanwhile Grant, the owner of Chalet Moosehead, and his 8 yr old daughter Charlet had come down to check out the scene. Karen and T were staying the night and were in no hurry. Charlet was very excited when T sat her in on of the DNs and pushed her around on the ice for a good ride. She then got back to the pit area and assisted them both in disassembling the boats, ratchet in hand. Once again I forgot that I had a phone/camera close at hand. I missed some terrific pictures of a future iceboater.

I was fortunate to find when I stopped at the local Hannaford grocery on the way out of town Wednesday evening for some pistachios to munch while driving home, they had in stock Bob Bartlett’s RUSTICATOR RUM. I look forward to sharing a drink or two, and hopefully recalling a tale or two of this years Moosehead, Long Way. I hope that all had as much fun and excitement as I. 

Cheers, Dave US4690

Michael Young was good enough to send us his tracks from the past days for those not familiar with the geography of the lake.

And the day before, The Long Way:

Just to make it more interesting we we hope to include the loop around Sugar Island in next year’s Long Way. That gives us ten miles directly upwind, no slant in the NW wind.

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The rest of the fleet deserves mention. Your editor is a bit bleary eyed, burned by the sun and froze by the wind.

Tom Gloudemans, Jim Turner, Jack Wright, Jos Van Dyke, and Bill Bunting. If anyone is missing, refer to above.

Think Ice, and stand by for CIBC Spring Meeting and potluck in late April.

There’s always Moosehead. How many times have careful readers of these ice reports read that line as winter wanes and the sap begins to run? It’s the light at the beginning of the long tunnel of summer. The hope that keeps us glued to web cams and weather reports. We didn’t know until Monday morning if we would get a shot at it this season. Last year we had three great days in early April, but that counts for nothing in the reality of iceboating.But the stars aligned for us and the last three days were some of the best of the season. The ice was hard and smooth; white frozen corn snow. Once clear of the inner bay at Greenville the ice smoothed out and became very flat and quiet. Just a small zippering sound from the leeward runner. No bumps. Further up in the middle of the lake were un-wet out hard snow mounds, but aside from getting launched off them in the strong winds Tuesday there were no issues. How an insert runner can survive those sideways landings over and over is a mystery.
The goal Monday was to see if we could do a Long Way, the Moosehead version of the Hardway. Greenville to Mt.Kineo and back in a tight fleet.

There it is in the background, above, as alluring and exotic as any tropical Isle. We scouted a crossing at the first pressure ridge late Monday, but left the event itself for Tuesday.
The forcast wind piled in Tuesday morning, not unlike the previous Long Way in 2013. But five boats rigged up and pushed out into the moderate gale and sailed full and by for a good while as the big mountain got closer and closer. The ice was flawless, save for a second big ridge near Sandy Point. We found a crossing, marked it for the return leg and beat way up into the lee of Kineo’s cliffs.

The great joy of this trip is, like the Hardway, the ride back down. The fleet stays close, the apparent wind isn’t as brutal and the speed is intoxicating.

The pressure ridge crossing was sailable and all boats made it through.

The beauty of this ridge was that it was covered in snow, which gave it the look more of old mountains than piles of ice. The 2022 LongWay is in the books! Congratulations to Denis Guertin, Michael Young, Jeff Rosenberry, Dave Fortier, and Bill Buchholz.

A few more boats showed up late in the day and set up for Wednesday’s sail. The whole group was staying at Kellys, which has a fine restaurant connected to the hotel. A long table was set and we had the classic iceboaters apres sail feast.

Wednesday’s wind beat the forecast so a fleet of six went on tour. We all did the requisite laps around the course T and Karen set up, but the pull of big ice was impossible to resist. We worked our way down into Moose Bay where there was actual ice, grey and flat. At the bottom of the bay we stopped in to see Bob Bartlett, the owner of Lloyd Robert’s old DN Cool Tool. Bob wasn’t there, but Cool Tool was, and we all gave her an affectionate pat.

After romping a while on that amazing plate we headed off to attempt the fist ever, to our knowledge, circumnavigation of Sugar Island. Sugar is the biggest island in the lake, and the northeast tip is rounded through a small channel, rather tight in a NW wind. There were rocks and open water on both sides, but the main channel was well marked with red and green buoys and just wide enough to short tack through. All six boats made it and out we popped deep in Lily Bay with our windward mark some five miles away.
But as you can see below, no one was complaining:

This photo doesn’t do justice to the vastness of the lake and the ice that went on for miles and miles with not a crack or hole.

Back in the pits the boats were lined up for an end of the season farewell photo.

The ice began to soften as the temps hit mid forties. No one was in any great rush to pack up, savoring the sun, good company and warm glow of a superb season closer. Yes. This is it. Cue the opera. Slush in the pits, mud on the shore, warm sun and fading wind. There is no better way to finish off the season. Thanks to all the sailors who took the gamble and made the drive.The great diverse group coming together to sail on ice never disappoints.

Here’s one parting shot, runner tracks in slush. Below, an iceout video. Rather mesmerizing, and a celebration of the mystery of ice.

https://youtu.be/AxmGObG_XD8

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