Well, Lloyd has left us. Fair winds and black ice forever and all that…

He has left us a lot in other ways. Of course, he left us the book, “Think Ice” which is required reading for anyone interested in sailing on the hard stuff. I refer to my signed copy all the time. I treasure it even more now that Lloyd has passed. So many gems in there…

In the section where Jeff Kent was describing the amount of work and time that goes into being good at this Lloyd added in brackets the words “Jeff lives iceboating.” Said a lot about Jeff but also spoke volumes about what your attitude has to be if you want to get on the podium. Doing it half-assed won’t get you there.

He left us piles of CIBC newsletters, literally cut and pasted and xerox-ed and mailed out on this stuff we used back in the day called “paper.” I have all of mine filed away and grab one at random now and then and marvel at the guy’s dedication to the sport and putting it out there. His writing style was classic.

I was lucky to be living in Maine from about 1998-2001. I got to meet Lloyd and get to know him a bit and he was the coolest cat out there. Smart, fast, eager to share every detail he could about building and sailing any kind of iceboat, especially DNs. He knew a lot about a lot but wasn’t obnoxious about it. I was thrilled to show him my first boat and he graciously took it for a lap around Chiki and gave me a thumbs up on getting it. That gave me some confidence!

My favorite story about Lloyd and iceboating is this one… I had been living in Maine for three years, working on a big sailboat and getting pretty bored and burned out on it. I was the mate, the captain wasn’t going anywhere, I was never going to get a promotion or a raise or anything… The good news was I’d started sailing DNs in 1999, just ripping around on whatever lake was good that week and wondering how to get into the racing aspect of it. I was hooked big time and that was keeping me going.

Then there was a turn of events that literally changed my life. First, my plank broke. I had no idea how to build one so I emailed Lloyd and asked for advice on building a new one. It was one of the first emails I ever sent, in fact. Second, I got fired from my boat job the next morning because of my “performance, absenteeism, and attitude.” I guess that pretty much covered it although I thought my performance was good enough, my absenteeism was only in winter when there was ice, and my attitude was, I’ll admit, reeeaaaallllly bad.

Anyway the captain gave me the news at about 8 AM that morning. By 10 AM my “retirement party” was in full swing, which means my neighbor Jules and I, along with the second mate who had come by, had polished off a bottle of wine or three that I’d pilfered from the boat and had several puffs of this stuff called Carrabassett Valley Kind Bud. I was, in a word, tanked. We all cope with adversity in different ways!

In the middle of all this the phone rings and it’s Lloyd. I had the stereo cranked (Little Feat’s “Waiting For Colombus”) and I was kind of abrupt in explaining that I couldn’t hear him and wasn’t in any condition to discuss much. Did I mention that I was hammered? The festivities raged into the late evening.

The next day as the fog lifted and I was putting the fragmented memories of the day before together I remembered that Lloyd had called I and I’d been less than polite. Oh shit. So I emailed him, apologized and explained that I’d been fired and was kind of in shock and very drunk, and asked if he was still willing to help me put a new plank together.

His response was priceless and spoke volumes. “Hello James, no need to apologize. Don’t sweat the job; the happiest, sailing-est iceboaters are the ones who don’t put too much of a priority on things like work. Call me when you sober up and I’ll tell you how to build a plank.”

There was a lot of wisdom and perspective in those few words! I really took them to heart. And he did tell me how to put a plank together, and it is in use to this very day.

And that is the biggest thing he left me, the lesson to keep your priorities in order. Thank you Lloyd for that and everything else. You set an amazing example for us all.

James “T” Thieler DN US 5224

With the summer season in full swing with work, sailing and other fun, I have been negligent about putting fingers to the keyboard. But like many of us, even in the middle of summer, I find myself looking at lakes and rivers and thinking about their upcoming frozen state. While racing on the Hudson and other soft-water venues, my thoughts inevitably turn toward the coming ice.

This summer ice rally post has been delayed, but recent happenings have finally pushed me to put fingers to keyboard.

I recently drove past Chickawaukie Pond on my way to the Rockland Boat and Harbor Show. As I passed, I thought about my old friend and fellow iceboater Lloyd Roberts, whose house sits at the top of the lake. There was no time for a side trip that day, but fortunately I had seen Lloyd twice over the past two years.

I had known Lloyd since 1992. The last Summer I saw him, at the estate auction of fellow iceboater John Eastman, I told Lloyd that I had known him for half my life. And he had been a positive influence on many aspects of my life.

The winter before, in 2024, I had pulled up on Lloyd’s beach in my DN. Seeing me approach, he came out on the porch and we had a long chat about iceboats, our mutual iceboating friends and life in general. He was pleased that the NEIYA was continuing to bring people to the ice. Eventually we walked out onto the ice where my boat was parked, like we had done so many times at his beach and other ice venues. This would be the last time we stood on the ice together.

It was one of those simple encounters that did not seem particularly significant at the time, but means a great deal now.

At Eastman’s estate auction, Lloyd mentioned that he was bidding on one of John’s cameras because he wanted something to remember him by. In much the same way, the work I put into assembling Lloyd’s Cheapskate plans and manual on iceboat.me will now serve as am eternal reminder of Lloyd for me.

Lloyd’s contributions to iceboating stretched across decades. Whether you came into the sport in the 1970s, 80s, 90s, (as I did in the early 90s), or in the 2000s, 10s or 20s, his influential hand touched us all.

His kind, gentle and methodical approach to solving problems, including the problems of iceboating, followed him throughout his life. When Lloyd saw something that could help the sport, he did something about it.

Wanting to introduce people to our beloved sport, Lloyd wrote Think Ice, the all-in-one how-to iceboating manual, available through the Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club:

Recognizing the need for an iceboat that could introduce newcomers to the experience, Lloyd developed the Gambit, a boat particularly well suited to giving rides. There are official plans out there somewhere, and I will try to locate them and update this post in the future.

And recognizing that cost could be a barrier keeping people from getting into the sport, Lloyd created the Cheapskate, a simple iceboat that could be built from commonly available materials, a little plywood and some determination.

The Cheapskate plans and manual can be found here:

Think Ice, the Gambit and the Cheapskate all say something about Lloyd. He did not just love iceboating. He wanted other people to discover it, experience it and become part of it.

Information about a remembrance gathering for Lloyd should be posted on iceboat.me in the next couple of weeks.

Farewell my friend and may you find endless black ice and a steady breeze rocket you down the plate.

Think Ice, and remember the man who wrote the book.

John
DN5023
john@neiya.org

Hello All-

Yes, the rankings are out!

The eastern part of the continent represented well with US sailors T. Thieler, Chad Atkins and Jeff Roseberry all hanging in the top ten along with Nicholas Mabboux, Peter Van Rossem and John Curtis from north of the border. Well done gang!

Plenty of other New Englanders are on the list as well; Take a look, get motivated, hit the gym and get working on your gear!

2027 Ranking List Published – DN North America

With summer rapidly approaching and as last years hardwater sailing memories begin to be filed away in the deeper part of the brain, thoughts for summer fun tend to blossom forth with unbridled passion. Many have already had the shakedown cruise in whatever water craft you choose and active racing has begun in earnest on soft water. Our local group, affectionately known as the, “Gene’s Beach Yacht Club”, has ,”most” of its fleet in the water. For years I was the only sailboat moored along a tiny strip on sand on our local lake.

Maybe 15 years ago, a Zuma made its presence and occasionally we would meet either sailing or post sail sit on the minuscule strip of sand. Occasional a Sunfish might join in. There would still be 6-8 motorboats from zoom zooms to small tin tubs for fishing, still leaving enough room for all. More recently, a Hobie Windrider trimaran joined the fleet and naturally an informal sail group happened.Word got out from friend to friend and last year the number of sails surpassed the number of motors for the first time since I moved here in 1987. Good news you may say but as you know the definition of a race is two sailboats on the same lake. Now I have been able to hold my own in a few of the local whole lake regattas over the years with several 2nds and one win, (on board marital mutiny caused the lead boat to drop out). I’ve sailed many craft and enjoy everything from sunfish to dinghies and cats. I enjoy leisurely sails but will always try to tweak an extra 1/10 knot of speed. My current craft, a home built ,”Flattie fourteen” plywood sailboat from John Garners book, was my retirement project and has been on the water for the last 8 years. It gets me around but is not the fastest in the fleet, but it suits me and is pretty. Anyway, the club unofficially sort of formed 5 years ago and any day with wind would find the fleet sailing about, sometimes chasing each other. Later afternoon would find captains and spouses gathered on the beach for celebrations of the day. A convivial atmosphere to say the least. Several sail lunches to an island have occurred as well. There has been an evolution over the last couple years that has been bothering me. I’ll blame it on Zuma lady who saw a Hobie Adventure trimaran sailing at the other end of the lake. She just had to have one of course. Clifford, the big red tri appeared on her mooring. Well, that opened the flood gates. She convinced two of her friends to buy the single version of the Hobie Islander. To add insult to injury, after trying for years to find the right boat for my wife, she deserted the monohull for one of these tris. (Yellow of course to match the others.) Now when you look out from shore, it appears to be a fleet of bumble bees floating about with a red mama watching over them. And finally another member who claimed to have the slowest boat joined the tri fleet too! So now I believe I can claim the title as the boat that allows a leisurely scenic afternoon sail.

That, you may say is enough to give any sailor the blues. However, the real cause is one of the unwritten bylaws of the unofficial club, (actually everything is unwritten) that is the, “Last/First” rule. This has nothing to do with racing, but order of launch. The last boat to be launched in the spring, and the first boat to be pulled in the fall, has to supply the beer,(or beverage) for the members. Only for the first and last gathering, not all summer just to clarify. Vacation trip last fall and projects and shoulder rehab this spring has bestowed upon me the great honor of being the purchaser of such refreshment. Alas fate sometimes is a cruel mistress.

I hope the only blues you all have this summer is music. Fair winds and following seas to you all, be it on salt or salt less water.

We are sad to hear of Jane Pegel’s passing….

To say she was a major player in the DN class is a massive understatement. She was a keen competitor, compiling a set of lifetime results that anyone would envy. On top of that she did a ton of work behind the scenes to develop and maintain the standards that we enjoy in the DN class.

I was lucky to get involved in racing DNs in time to compete against her a few times before she retired. Of course she beat me!

Jane Pegel, 1934–2026: Champion, Innovator, and DN Leader – DN North America

We all know it’s a feather in our cap to be the first person on the planet to sail an iceboat in a given season. Seriously, that must be a cool feeling and probably the title shared by the smallest number of people. Mike Madge was often the first every year for a long time as he lived on Thunder Bay in Ontario. Some Russians would beat him to the punch sometimes by getting on the ice on a giant reservoir in Novosibirsk Reservoir – Wikipedia. I think maybe Paul Chamberlain surprised everyone one year by getting his DN going on a patch of ice out in Saskatchewan – Wikipedia. I recall sailing Quaboag Pond a few times in November a few years back…. Good stuff indeed!

But the iceboating season usually ends not with a bang but with a whimper… do we ever know who got out for the last time in the spring and where they did it?

This year SO FAR it looks like Dave Frost and Martha Croasdale get the credit; They found some ice in Thunder Bay a few days ago and lived it up. Well done to the both of them and whoever else was with there; They found the spot, checked it out and sailed it (most importantly) without incident. Kudos!

With this spring being a cold and cloudy one I have to wonder if Moosehead Lake might still have a few hours of sailing left in it? Anyone interested in blowing off the yard work and house chores to check it out?

The Last Dance – DN North America

Here is a link to Andy Grattons talk on all things iceboating; be sure to check it out before Sunday!

Andy Gratton’s Talk | Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

This will be well worth tuning in to!

Andy Gratton on Iceboating: Free Webinar April 16

Take a look at this bulletin from the Maine gang- food for thought!!

https://iceboat.me/

Happy Spring Everyone- Just thought I’d share a few thoughts on boat setup before everyone shifts over to soft-water mode… Food for thought for next season!

Getting a DN ice yacht set up properly and up to speed can be a daunting task. Quite often even knowing where to begin can be confusing. With that in mind I thought I’d share some basic starting points for all of the settings and adjustments on the boat. Every boat is a little different so be prepared to do some experimenting to find the sweet spots. That said, starting off in the ballpark will help.

Here are my quick’n’dirty, most basic boat tuning setup tips plus some racing tips.

BASELINE SET UP:

-Make sure your plank bends between 44-46 mm when you stand on the middle of it.

-Attach the plank in the middle or a little forward.

-Put the mast step on the deck in the middle.

-Put the mast socket all the way aft at the mast base.

-Set the mast rake so the boom is horizontal with the mainsheet slack.

-Set the halyard so there is about 12″-14″ inches between the back deck and the boom

-Sidestays should be snug but not loose; you should be able to attach them just by leaning on the adjuster fitting. If you need to pull the mainsheet on or get someone to lean on the mast in order to get the pin in that’s probably too tight…

-Set the mainsheet blocks on the back deck as far aft as they’ll go. Set the ones on the boom so the sheet is pulling aft just a bit when sheeted all the way in and the blocks are easily “nested” or “two-blocked.”

Sail around (upwind AND downwind!) and see how the boat feels; then “tune for effect!” as Jan Gougeon said!

If the boat hikes excessively and is hard to control encourage more mast bend by raising the halyard a bit or easing the sidestays. I like to do this before messing with the rake… It’s easier and doesn’t effect the geometry of the rig and boat. You can try different sidestay adjustments easily by changing a setting on one side but not the other. Sail around on different tacks and see which side feels better. Then match them up to the good side. If these adjustments don’t work try moving the mast step forward to encourage more bend and make life a little easier. Be sure to wind on the headstay to level the boom up again, and make sure the sidestays are still snug but not tight.

If the boat is too easy to sail (never hikes at all, rig bends out too easily, has a lack of pointing ability upwind) do the reverse of the steps above; lower the halyard a bit, tighten the sidestays… If these don’t stiffen things up enough move the mast step aft on the deck. Ease the headstay until the boom is level again… Again, check the sidestay tension and make sure it’s still good. If the mast still bends too much consider putting a “stick” in it (a 1” diameter fiberglass tube from McMaster-Carr about 10 feet long works well).

The boat should be work to sail; It’s a DN, not a La-Z-Boy recliner! It should hike a bit in puffs and breeze, you should have to slide aft and outboard off the starting line and out of tacks to get the rig to pop out to leeward, and you should have to ease and trim a bit to keep the boat on the ice. If you sheet in off the line and the mast just falls to leeward that’s set up too soft… If you haul the sheet in and the boat hikes up without the mast bending that’s too stiff. Hunt and peck until you find the sweet spots for your boat and sailing style! TIP: Keep it simple and try not to overthink things! ONLY MAKE ONE ADJUSTMENT AT A TIME! This way you can get a feel for which adjustment does what…. Also get a tuning partner; a sailor or two with similar gear and sailing level. Between races do practice runs and make adjustments in between. Take turns using one boat as a constant (a “trial horse” in America’s Cup lingo) and one as the adjustment test boat. All the top sailors do this!! Share what you learn after each test run. It really helps to sort out what works and what doesn’t as well as adjusting for changing conditions during the day.

Lastly, don’t be shy about looking over other people’s boats and setups. Every boat is a little different but if you look at the top sailors’ boats you will see patterns emerge… After every race the top five boats are held in the measurement area for about 15-20 minutes; that’s the perfect time to take a look! Remember, it’s not espionage if you are being obvious about it…. Also don’t be shy about asking questions. Most sailors will be happy to share tips over breakfast, on the ice (just not right before a Gold Fleet start!), at dinner, wherever. You never know when some useful little nugget will come your way!

During the race do your best to keep the boat going full speed at all times; maintain fast angles to the wind upwind and down. No pinching upwind or falling off too much downwind! On the upwind legs try to get a feel for when the boat is going full speed and when you can take a little height out of a puff. Downwind be sure to ease the sheet a little (1″-2″) and let some bend come out of the mast (sail downwind with the mast bent maybe half as much as upwind). Generally sailing high and hot downwind works best but sometimes you can ride a good puff down a bit.

Starts: Hit the gym all year and do what it takes to get off the line in the front row. Then you can sail your own race and enjoy it! If you get spit out the back, don’t despair. Try sailing a little low until you can find a lane of clear breeze… If you started near the center of the line you might be able to tack as soon as you can clear other boats and lay the Darling mark. This leaves you all alone in the middle of the course with all of the space and clear air you could ever want…. Take it from this lousy sprinter, you can pull off a good salvage job this way!

Shifts and puffs: Again, keep it simple. Keep your head out of the boat. Try to stay on the tack or gybe that heads you closest to the next mark. Try to visualize where the puffs are and how they are moving down the course and stay in them. And keep in mind where the “picket fences” (groups of other boats chewing up the wind) are and where the bad air they create might be lingering.

Hopefully these tips will help you make sense of these complex little creatures we call DNs!

Last and most important, when you get to the winner’s circle, act like you’ve been there before!

Sail It Like Ya Stole It!

T. Thieler DN US 5224

As winter loosens its grip, they showed up. Not just to say farewell to the ice, but to share a few more miles, smiles, and comradery.

On any given weekend with sailable conditions, NEIYA members and wider iceboat devotees are scattered across New England, the Adirondack region, the Midwest, and Europe, chasing DN championships. This weekend feels a little different. The focus has shifted and focused on a few places.

For the past couple of weeks, eyes have been fixed on the final runs of the season. Moosehead remains the anchor on that list, still delivering as I am writing. But in a late push, Sunapee bubbled to the surface, drawing a dedicated group for one more go.

More on Moosehead to follow. For now, Peter Boynton, W-8, reports in on Sunapee’s last hurrah.

We had a terrific last hurrah of the season with a great group of iceboaters today at Sunapee, with 5 DN’s, 1 BDX and a Whizz.  The ice was a slightly bumpy, but not bad, and the wind was good until it gave out late in the day.  We persevered and were rewarded with more wind and the best runs as the day ended.  It was happy finale to a great winter season on the ice.

Many thanks to the Sunapee ice and launch area scouting crew Mark Friedman & Dave Bjorklund, and thanks to Art Burritt for staging the planks at the State Beach launch area. 

Sailors: Dick Boisvert, Dave Bjorklund, Francois Asselin, Mark Friedman, Cedric Buettner, Peter Boynton
(Art Burritt not in photo)

Peter Boynton W-8

If you missed out this weekend, maybe just maybe there will be more.

Think Ice,

John
DN5023
John@neiya.org

Weekend Happenings

A return of cold air is settling across the region, and with it comes one more go at late-season ice. Conditions are trending in the right direction for spring sailing this weekend but as always this time of year, nothing is guaranteed.

As of last night, plans were still taking shape. That’s part of the rhythm of March ice. Success now isn’t measured in miles logged or races, it’s in rigging up, stepping onto the ice with friends, and taking a run or two after the Ides. Getting on the ice is a big win.

Current chatter points to activity in both Maine and New Hampshire, with groups gathering on Moosehead and Sunapee. Primary launches are expected out of Greenville, ME behind Kelly’s Landing and Mount Sunapee State Beach, Newbury, NH.

A reminder, this is late-season ice. All the usual cautions apply, and then some. Thickness alone doesn’t assure safety. The ice may still measure well, but its strength has changed. Holes, seams, and soft spots from earlier in the season are unlikely to have healed thoroughly, even with this recent cold. Stay sharp, check as you go, and keep your head up. NEVER SAIL ALONE!

If you head out, don’t go it alone grab a buddy, share observations, and keep it safe.

Apologies to our friends at the CT Ice Yacht Club for missing their spring season recap and lunch. You all understand the ice makes the call, and and we follow.

Think Ice,
John
DN5023
John@neiya.org

P.S. We will have one maybe two Thursday Night recap calls to go. Topics will shift to what and how we do things once the cold returns.