Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

The club learned a lot from last year’s Winnipesaukee, The Hard Way. The most important lesson was that we cannot call it ON for the entire club, have thirty or more boats show up, and then just do it. It doesn’t honor the rules, and it’s not safe.

But we want to give everyone the opportunity to take part in this classic New England iceboating event. What we’ve come up with is that groups of at least five will be welcome to participate. You need to form your group with like minded sailors, one of whom has done the Hardway before. This is in the rules.

People should start networking now, as with conditions like they are right now, we might get this in earlier than usual. If you can’t find four others, maybe you can find three. Smaller groups can be combined on the morning of the Hardway to make the minimum if they are in similar boats and sail at similar speeds.

Then each group is responsible for its members. If one boat breaks down and repairs can’t be made on the ice, the group needs to see him safely back to the pits unless there are at least seven in the group in which case two return and five continue, five being the minimum number in a fleet. This is all standard Hardway guidelines.

Maps have been printed and will be available at the pits when signing in. Bring reading glasses if you need them! Guidelines and stories are here:

Winnipesaukee “the Hard Way” | New England Ice Yacht Association

Hardway rules:

Bill Buchholz
NEIYA Cruising Chairman

Charlie Silfvenius
HARDWAY Captain

This just in from Pat Keeley on Jordan Bay:

Unscouted, as far as we know, but this is looking south out of Jordan bay with Squaw Island in the distance. Looks better than Dammy.

Tomorrow a few boats will be sailing out of Wolfboro Bay into the south end of Winnipesaukee. Is a Hardway in the offing? Stand by for some new guidelines.

Today on Dammy the west wind gave a wonderful fetch of the entire lake. One could run from the very bottom near Damariscotta Mills and lay the very north end in downtown Jefferson in one tack.

Here’s the fleet preparing for the Run to Lunch.

And below, the one’s that made it, moored snugly in the North River. It was a fast downwind landing but the snow banks made excellent brakes. The photo is taken from the bridge that was too low for a mast to clear so the rounding up had to happen one way or another.

The food at the Jefferson Cafe is highly recommended, but even better is the sunny window where all traces of cold vanish.

Odd weather the next few days. More moderate winds predicted for Winni, but crazy around here. Two boats are still on the ice, Bunting and Wolfie. Check with them if you want to sail. And Jordan Bay?

Happy Day of Love. For those who’s other love is iceboating, it was a pretty interesting day. It started with snow all along the coast. It was zero degrees. Windy. overcast with blowing snow. Nothing but true love could push through these obstacles. And like most relationships, dedication and trust are rewarded. Around noon the sun came out, the traces of snow vanished, and a group of four boats sailed down to Vannah Rd., the River and deep cove. Was it rough? Of course. What relationship worth a damn isn’t?

The Upper river, which feeds into the lake at the north end near the state park, leads right to the new Jefferson Store and Cafe. It has snowmobile tracks leading right up the middle so there’s no reason we couldn’t sail up there for a nice hot sit down lunch tomorrow.

The North Broads was sailed and skate sailed this afternoon all the way to the entrance to the Narrows. All the pressure ridges are healed, but there is an occasional fang, or row of fangs, still sticking up. There are large swaths of ice well stove up from ATV’s in the slush. Very rough. The west side seems best. Overall grade four sounds about right.

No telling what the ice is like in the South End, but this is why we tour and explore.

The surface hardened right up nice last night and is now ready to go. Looks like about a 5.5-6. We will be launching from Lake Farm Circle. We have out of state guests are coming up with a trailer that’s too big for Vannah Rd, so it would be rude to leave them all alone way at the North End.

Here’s how it looks today. Sixteen inches of hard ice. No idea what happened with the cracks and ridges out there in the north broads from last time, so consider this plate unscouted for now.

There’s a spot of snow between the ice and the road; not sure it can be driven on. Well, you could drive down but might not be able to get back up without a tow. Light trailers might roll over the hard crust.

Up on Mt. Desert, Long Pond, below, is looking very nice. They will be sailing it today. Stand by for a report later.

And speaking of reports, Kim and Will Tuthill are landing in Estonia as we speak for the International Ice and Snow Sailing Championships. This is the premier event for hand held wings, free skates and kites.
Kim has promised to keep us updated on all the drama. Racing starts tomorrow.