As we await developments in Ukraine, here’s a little background on what Russia went through in WW2. Is it any wonder they feel the need to push back every now and then?
How ice boats saved Leningrad during the 1941 Siege – Russia Beyond
Disclaimer: this is more about iceboats than politics! Happy Presidents Day!
Lured north by the draw of Center Harbor, this little fleet sailed on Saturday to the end of the wind.
Slowly it began to snow, still no wind. It became clear than very soon the numerous boat eating skimmed over drain holes would be invisible. Some began to walk, others push and glide, pretending to sail. But effort is rewarded and soon four boats managed to get hooked up and by sailing very shallow angles made it the five miles downwind to the pits.
For the others, walking became slippery in the thickening snow, and there were those hidden holes. Dave Fortier was willing to risk his car, so it was dispatched to tow the walkers back.
The craziest thing was to look in the rear view mirror and see…ICEBOATS!
Below, the wet snow piling up.
A major squall came through at dusk and blew the ice mostly clear, as well as re-arranging some of the boats in the pits. Lesson: always tie down your boat no matter the forecast.
The ice in the broads was especially clear, and with a brisk wind before noon, this fleet made a splendid circumnavigation of Rattlesnake Island. Some of the smoothest ice of the weekend was found back there.
The guy on the left is looking wistfully north, laying a course in his mind for Center Harbor. But with a dying breeze and two reported pressure ridges, discretion was the better part of boldness so we stitched together long fast downwind legs back to the pits and watched the DN’s scratch racing in Wolfeboro Bay.
Ice in Maine looks pretty nice. The Mini Skeeters sailed Damariscotta Lake from Lake Farm today.
The ice seems to have smoothed out since our last time there. Vannah Rd launch is just about done. High temps Wednesday will probably do it in, but Bob MacEwen reports ice tight to the shore at the beach. There are also promising reports from Great Pond, Pushaw and Clarey Pond. All eyes are on Thursday.
Thanks to Jeff Soderholm, Nina Fleming and Lee Spiller for the photos.
I just returned from Wolfeboro, and thought I would share. I chose to leave at 1700, as waiting for all to gather at Wolfeboro restaurant would require that I do something to kill more than an hour, such as drink. As much as I would have enjoyed that I chose to drive home to Biddo. That is one of the reasons I am sharing, I drove into a freakin’ BLIZZARD, zero visibility, blowing stink. I actually pulled over for about ten minutes after following a freaking sand truck out of town with 6 other wackos directly behind me. It was snowing and blowing HARD, I hope that the ice survived and all the snow blew into outer space. When I got 10 or fifteen miles east the snow eased, so the disturbance was local, or is that loco.
My boat still is on the ice, I hope that the wind has blown most of the snow out of it, we will see in the morning. Will we try and get to Center Harbor on Sunday, that all depends if we care to attempt. NOAA weather forecast is 5-10 MPH wind. NOAA was TOTALLY inaccurate today, finger crossed. I must continue my gear husbandry, see you on the ice.
Dave
Winnepesaukee was sailed today from Wolfboro. Charlie and Ann Silfvenius, James and Steve Lamb, and briefly, Peter Coward, sailed as far north as Sandy Island, crossing the broads side to side a few times in the way of Ellacoya.
All that ice and only four boats.
Chances are we’ll have a Regatta or two as well as some epic cruising once this warm spell passes.
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
