Six DNs travelled from Nova Scotia to PEI this weekend to join PEI-based NIYC members on Covehead Bay, near Stanhope. Some were cruisers but there were enough racers for us to decide to sail for the Nova Ice Yacht Club’s Nova Scotia trophy – OK , we were in PEI, but have you seen any ice in NS recently? There was about 2 km of available ice with plenty of room to set a course about 0.6 mile in length.
8on peistart
all8boats
artplus3
Temperatures were below freezing all weekend. On Saturday we sailed on 7 or 8 inches of hard salt-water ice covered with about 3 inches of soft snow. The wind started at about 8 knots and built to 10 to 12 as the day progressed. Plate runners and FO1s were the order of the day. As the day wore on the snow began to drift and the ride got bumpier as the boats knocked to tops off the drifts. It was fast, powered-up sailing, and Bob Crinion had the measure of us with six bullets.
Saturday night we retired to Doug Gaudet’s for dinner where Helen treated us well; indeed, at lunch on Saturday she brought hot chili to the launch site!
windwardapproach
bobovertop
boband peidunes
Sunday morning dawned clear and windy, and as feared Saturday’s drifts had hardened into boat-breakers. There were lots of clear patches, but the prospect of tearing a plank off on a hardened drift or having an out-of-boat experience brought common sense to the fore. We loaded up and headed home. Despite sailing only one day we had a grand time, with special thanks to hosts Doug an Helen Gaudet. Photos by Doug and Helen too.
If that is the end of the season, it ended well! Great Western Challenge next?
Races
Total
1
Bob Crinion
1
1
1
1
1
1
5
2
Warren Nethercote
3
2
3
2
RET
2
12
3
Danny Mosher
4
4
4
4
2
3
17
4
Art Samson
2
3
2
3
DNS
DNS
18
5
Wayne Matheson
5
5
5
7
3
5
23
6
Mike Webber
DNS
DNS
6
5
4
4
27
7
Howard Garland
6
6
7
6
5
DNS
30
Warren
2016 Nova Scotia Championships
March 19, 2016. Covehead Bay, PEI
03/21/2016 | Categories: 2016 Racing, 2016 Season | Comments Off on Iceboating Report from PEI
There was a French TV crew on hand at the NA champs this year and they put together this in-depth, two part series. Take a look, see if you can spot eastern sailors with names like Moore, Gortiski, Nethercoate, Bowman and Co.
Central region stalwarts Rich Potcova, Rick Lemberg, Matt Struble and Ron Sherry are featured as well- they have some interesting moments and you have to love the accents….
They also included some sweet Stern-Steerer, Skeeter, and Scooter footage as well- I think I saw a Blackfly go blazing by at one point too- Something for everyone in these clips!
Joe Meade checks in with this report on his season finale up in Kingston a little while ago- Of course he just has to drop a hint about some new top secret gear he’s messing with…. thanks Joe, now none of us will sleep all summer….
In any case have a read and enjoy what he has to say- words to live by!
The fat lady is singing!
Guy and I took a side trip up to visit our friends in East Canuckistan (Kingston, ON) this weekend for a final spin and to test out some new top secret equipment. If you want to know…well…you had to be there… Hopefully more can be enticed to join on some of these shorter trips.
I really wanted to make it to the New England’s, but ultimately leaving on Friday was not in the cards for me. I understand they had a successful regatta on Saturday in New Hampshire. Awesome.
Kingston is a reasonable drive for a great venue. I left at 6:30 am and had my boat set up a little after 10:30. You can’t beat pulling up to the Kingston Yacht Club and setting up your boat 5 feet from your car. Of course they have a gorgeous yacht club with five beers on tap and a full kitchen. You can sail right in and take about 10 steps to the door. Don’t forget about the exchange rate well into our favor. They practically were paying us to drink their beer and stay in their hotels! It would be reasonable to do the trip in one day if hotels aren’t your thing.
They have a good size fleet. I think there were at least 20 boats on the ice yesterday, probably more. Most of them cruising on the St. Lawrence as far as you can see until they disappear. I didn’t go that far but I know they all returned back safely.
Guy & I had a good time beating around the marks with the boys (and girls) and seeing what a difference changing runners make. Just as I dirty every dish in the kitchen when I cook, I dirtied every runner I had. Changing runners made an amazing difference on the snow ice as conditions and wind changed throughout the day. Speaking of wind – Saturday we got a lot of light air practice in and on Sunday the winds piped up for most of the afternoon. I could hardly hold my arms up driving home.
Oh yeah, and the fastest boats in Canada – they use hockey sticks for their steering tillers – and they are fast!
Special thanks to Peter VanRossem and John Curtis for their clubs hospitality and having marks to set up a race course. I know John also gave rides to a few new iceboaters in the midst of everything.
It was a good closure to my season, I know everyone has different constraints, whether you only sail locally or only on a certain lake, or weekend commitments. I think collectively, even though the season was short we had a lot of good ice this year and opportunity locally – relatively speaking!
The moral to my story and the reason I wrote this is – our local season can be short. It is the only way to extend the season and sailing opportunities. Gas is cheap and life is short. Going to these venues, and regional races, is no different than our gathering at the Waneta Inn or in front of Keuka College. Everyone is very friendly. Get out, travel, meet people, and sail fast.
I am already looking forward to next year.
Joe Meade
James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
03/20/2016 | Categories: 2016 Season | Comments Off on KEWASA Season Finale
Alex Thomson has a lousy track record in offshore racing but his PR skills have set the bar very high- First there was a keel walk, then a mast jump, and now this….
As we once again move from the solid to the liquid state, the awesome powers of wind and water are revealed. Thanks to Walt Colantuono for passing this photo essay on.
Price: $40/pp which includes choice of vegetarian,
sea food, and carving station, with dessert, coffee.
Tip included. Cash bar.
We have GREAT videos, excellent conversation, fabulous pictures,
all your friends in one place, and wonderful food.
Don’t miss out on our season’s last get together.
Please bring exact change for the dinner or a check made out to LRIBYC.
Please let me know if you are attending and how many sailors are in your
crew that are coming. It’s important that we show a “manning of the rail”
before we come into dock.
You have to take a look at this video from the Nite Nationals- VERY well produced and edited (aerial footage and more) and a good soundtrack to boot! Blatantly lifted as usual from the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club website ( iceboat.org )
Jory Squibb checks in with this follow-up to his “Lone Wolf” missive the other day- interesting reading to be sure- see this and more at http://iceboat.me/
I hope others are enjoying this inquiry about the tension between the lone wolf following his bliss, and the worry and sometimes grief that his behavior can cause others. It’s a subject which our iceboat club has discussed and anguished over, for as long as i’ve been a member. One of our most experienced ice people, Bob Dill from Vermont, whose website http://lakeice.squarespace.com/ is a must-read for ice lovers, added this to our discussion:
Hi Jory,
I think you are being too hard on yourself (and that old wolf). Leads and other ice dodgyness need to be explored if that can be done with low risk. How else are we going to learn about the ice?
We had two more fatalities in Vermont last week. One was a 31 year old riding his snowmobile…The other was a 67 year old experienced fisherman going for one more day (it reached 70 degrees!) on Shelburne Pond. It was a tough week.
None of these guys had the equipment, knowledge or skills to stay out of trouble or, failing that, to rescue themselves. Very few of the 50 or so people who die annually on North American ice have any safety equipment and many have odd notions about things like the bearing strength of 4″ candled ice on 70 degree days. An experienced ice traveler with claws, flotation, test poles, throw ropes and enough pads (knee and elbow pads?—ed) to avoid most serious injuries has far lower risk than those 50 fatalities.
That is not to say that we are as well prepared as we should be or that we always make the best decisions. We should work on that. At the end of the day the risk is not zero. We all have to decide if it is close enough to zero to allow us to enjoy the ice as much as most of us do.
Bob
And Bob Lombardo, part of that amazing skating duo, Bob and Karl, who are just finishing their 55th day of the season, responded:
Do either Karl or I ever skate alone? We both do, but I have to say I am more inclined than he, to skate alone. I know it is not smart but I require “alone time”, that is just the way I am. I have even skated on rivers alone and that is really not a good idea but usually that is when the ice is good and Karl is not able to go.
Jory responds….There’s a need for clarity and authority in us that wants this discussion to end with clear rules. “Membership in our club, the CIBC, requires that all members wear claws and floating, cold-proof clothing when on the ice at all times. We also prohibit solitary activities on the ice. Offenders are subject to warning and eventual dismissal.”
As I look back at what I’ve posted here over the years….the times i’ve waxed a bit “cosmic”…the times that even this failing mind has not forgotten…. they were often times of group activity….but perhaps a quarter of them were alone or semi-alone activities…alone in the beauty of wild space….sacred space i sometimes say….without these times…these precious times…my interest in the ice community would still exist, but it would be very much diminished…. club rules, encouraging the facile judgement of another’s behavior, while trying to fill in the valleys of risk, would have chopped off the mountains of joy…. so i’m glad we’re not regulated….i’m glad we’re staying in undefined, open space…
That said, in these past days, i’ve seen important areas to improve: It’s important to have strict rules for racing, and for all boat encounters. It’s important to share knowledge about safety, and to speak up, in a kindly way, about its lapses…It’s important to take new-comers under our protective wing….and above all, the lone wolf must find a human voice… must strive to communicate in spite of the fear that communication will nix adventure…really….you can have your cake and eat it too…
if you’re with others, you can tell them what you’re doing, why and how….you can listen to and take in their concerns…and then… you can thoughtfully act…not as a defiant loose cannon…but as a confident contributor to the community…which is stronger for each diverse, creative member….if something then happens, it has a different feel…there still will be sadness….grief….but the feelings are less conflicted…more positive….though we may have disagreed…on some level we understand, and are connected.
03/14/2016 | Categories: 2016 Season | Comments Off on Read And Reflect, Cont’d….
Looks like the Way-Up-North Gang had a good bit of sailing up at PEI- check out Doug Gaudet’s report here:
How much fun can one have in 18 hours?
“Mainlanders”, arrived Friday eve at 12:30 am, we traded pleasantries…… till 2:30am, got up at 7:30am, to Helen’s kitchen breakfast. (Not quite up to Claudette’s style, but we try!)
Then to the ice – 5 boats , then 6, and Danny Mosher at 1pm made 8 boats on Stanhope Bay, in PEI.
We managed about 7 scrub races, between a lot of “fuggery” (that means we tuned between races). A bit of carnage starting after lunch. Danny lost a shroud pin, fixed, then Bob pulled a shroud shackle off next race -fixed and finally in the last race Mike W was warping into the leeward mark, and in the words of Bob “You should have let a little sheet off Mike!” He tore his plank off in a hike and hard plant but as I said “too bad” he, smiling from ear to ear, pulled a GPS out of his pocket and said “But I was going 47.4 knots that’s the most power I`ve ever had.
We returned to Helen`s Kitchen for more “pleasantries“: bruschetta, a pork roast dinner, and a 600, yes 600 picture dinner theater while we sat at the TV big screen. My daughter, her boy friend Jeff and Helen skated on the ice and took pic`s all day.
Hopefully there are 3 or 4 attached. I`m off to Fredericton NB today but will get more pic`s out after I come back tonight. maybe!
Thanks to Mike, his son Mitchell who was sick and didn`t sail, Bob C, Art S and the islanders who showed – John Rankin, Danny Mosher , Wayne Matheson and Shannon Murray.
Doug G
03/13/2016 | Categories: 2016 Season | Comments Off on Sailing in PEI – Doug gaudet’s report
Three things happened in my world recently….”a perfect storm” of….really….enforced reflection:
1. The Hopi elders, in their prophesy for the next millennium said: “ In order not to be torn apart by these turbulent times, we have to let go of the shore, (perhaps meaning our habitual behaviors?) and stay in the middle of the river. (perhaps enter the scary groundlessness of new patterns?) See who is there with us and celebrate! The time of the lone wolf is over.”
2. Bill and I were exploring Great Pond on skates prior to inviting everyone to come the next day….He wanted exploration X….I wanted Y…we agreed on X, but as we skated out of the launch, our paths were obviously diverging….damn it….i was going to do Y…Bill watched me skate off, exploring the curvy, open water lead, and disappear completely from view….when we came together a half hour later, Bill was lounging on the dock at the south end of Hoyt Island…..stonily silent….absolutely livid….”we agreed on a plan, he said. If you want to do scary shit, I can’t do things with you”….over the next days I pouted…hadn’t the tables been reversed an equal number of times?….and hadn’t we often done “scary shit” together?….how could he stand on high moral ground?
3. Trueman Moore, aged 20, was hiking two days ago with buddies in a park on the edge of Lake Megunticook. In the growing darkness, he wanted to take a shortcut across the ice to a lighted house. His buddies strongly discouraged him, but he set off, went thru the ice, and drowned. They could shout to him, as he slowly froze to death, but they couldn’t do anything…
When i go on the ice, i wear picks and flotation clothing…i’ve been intensively dealing with ice for 15 years….i’ve been through the ice 4 times, each with a successful self-rescue…why compare my situation with that of a 20 year old neophyte?….it’s completely different!…..right?
Wrong!….the reality doesn’t depend on fatality… we wolves are human…we’re not simply eaten by jackels when things go wrong…..we wolves are never ‘lone’…our behavor causes real suffering to others. Bill leans on the dock, fuming…angry, yes, but having spent a very fearful half-hour…fear for a friend’s safety….and the more complicated fear surrounding a possible rescue….my hasty self-justifications try to escape the real harm that i have caused…Trueman’s parents…incalculable…..deep…. lifetime suffering….his friends….complicated–even guilty–suffering. Trueman and I have both caused others to suffer.
Last night, i put aside the enticing evening activities, and sat, alone by the fire, as the quiet evening unspooled …the lone wolf… it’s a self-image I often come back to in bratty times, when i need justification for solitary behaviors. Is the lone wolf time truly over? Is our planetary history insisting that this pattern, useful perhaps in earlier times, is so out of synch with the interdependence, the deeper connectedness of people and things, that it is now inappropriate, and even disastrous?
i think of my greatest hero, Shackleton, revered more, perhaps, for his amazing care-taking of his men, than his actual Antarctic exploration. …and i feel ready….here a long, recurring sigh… with a few aftershocks and setbacks no doubt….to leave the comforting shore of lone wolf behavior, and celebrate with buddies a new pattern…. would it really be so awful?…to let go a little…perhaps with older age as an excuse…and to swim in the river of community?
Well said Jory- Please let’s keep Trueman and his family in our thoughts and prayers.
Hey Folks- I’ve always been curious as to why there aren’t more (any?) French sailors involved with iceboating. Their sailing culture is based on speed (the Open 60 monohulls they sail are insane and the giant trimarans they sail even more so) and adventure. You’d figure they would be all over the ice. And yet off the top of my head I couldn’t think of any French iceboaters.
This being the case I was surprised when a French film crew showed up to do a story on the NA champs out in Madison. They shot some good footage and put together a nice little piece- so think back to the French classes you dozed through and have a look-
For the recon-minded there is some on-board footage from winner Matt Struble’s boat….
While the CIBC have evolved into primarily a cruising club, we still use the rules of the road. They are just as critical, if not more so, to maintain order in the way we sail: reaching around with the sun in our eyes driving the boats as fast as possible. Please take a minute every now and then to brush up on the rules. We need to assume the other guy knows them just as well as you do. Here’s a nice nod to Jane Pagel who worked long and hard to unify the rules across many different iceboat clubs.
News from the National Iceboat Authority
Jane Pegel has decided to retire from the Board of Directors of the National Iceboat Authority. We’d like to thank Jane for over 50 years of service regarding the management of our racing rules and ensuring safety and fairness is maximized in iceboating. Jane was one of the founding members of the NIA along with Elmer Millenbach, Wally Cross, Homer Seider, and Bob Pegel. Prior to the NIA racing rules, the various sailing clubs around the country had different racing rules which created confusion and hazardous situations on the race course. Jane played a key role as this group worked together to develop the NIA Racing Rules which have successfully served as the basis for iceboat racing since the early 1960’s. Please join us in thanking Jane for her many contributions to our sport!
We’re happy to announce that Steve Schalk has accepted the open position on the NIA Board of Directors. Steve is an experienced B-Skeeter sailor with many years of service on local and regatta race committees. Those of you who know Steve would agree that he is a reasonable and patient person who communicates well and always considers the needs of every class of iceboat participating in an event.
03/08/2016 | Categories: 2016 Season | Comments Off on News From The National Iceboat Authority
Just a reminder that we are always looking for interesting content to post here on the site. If you’d like to share some photos, videos, or want to write an article (long or short) on anything even (very) remotely iceboat-related email it to me at t_thieler@yahoo.com and it will find it’s way to the front page.
Cruising, racing, building, repairing, off-season activities, whatever you have send it in!
Looking forward to seeing what everyone is up to- Think Ice!
James “T” Thieler
t_thieler
03/07/2016 | Categories: 2016 Season | Comments Off on Website Content Wanted!!
No sailing where you are? No problem- hop aboard with Scott Valentine for Race 10 of the NAs- he says to strap on your helmet, crank the volume and enjoy the ride!
Eric Tasden shares this photo from the NA champs- another cool perspective….
All of these great photos and videos are shamelessly pilfered from the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club website. If you don’t look at it regularly you should start! All kinds of interesting stuff going on out that way- Stern Steerers, Renegades, DNs, Skeeters, you name it!
It is rumored that productivity in the offices overlooking Lake Monona in Madison dropped off a bit during the recent DN champs- have a look at the video to see why. Very cool perspective!
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
03/07/2016 | Categories: 2016 Season | Comments Off on DN NA Video
Hey Folks- There was some good sailing and good walking to be had all over last weekend- sounds like boats and sailors were on the move all over New England-
Meanwhile more media is coming in from the DN NA champs out in WI awhile ago- a photographer named Joe Stanton was out on the ice and took a bazillion shots of the action- click the link and check them out!
No racing at Newfound Lake today- This AM held some promise but then the breeze shut off, the sun shone bright, and rapidly softening ice made for a long schlep home!
On the other hand yesterday was well worth it- Fast, tight racing all afternoon in a good breeze had everyone lit up, and social hour today was entertaining to say the least. The big action was the final sprint into the launch area with Atkins and Moore leaving it all in the course as they fought to be first back in the pits. They both claim to have won- typical.
All in all a good time had by all. Season finale? Hope not, we still have to get the Eastern Champs in- If you have ice make it public!
If we do get the EASTERNS in we are hoping for a strong turnout/. Clear the weekend-
Think Ice! T
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
03/06/2016 | Categories: 2016 Season | Comments Off on NE Champs Done
As reported earlier and by our friends in Maine. Lots of people sailed both around the buoys and around the shores. There will be more in the morning. Not too late to pack, get some sleep and drive in the early morning hours.
Newfound lake in Bristol NH and Great pond in Belgrade ME (see iceboat.me) are the places as well as a few others that have already been reported.
Sail fast and safe tomorrow.
Ever thought about what punishment your front runner goes through as it passes over smooth and otherwise ice. Bill Converse trained his GoPro forward and captured just that. A day in the life of a steering runner.
More Bill Converse pictures from last week on Wentworth.
Think Ice,
John
03/05/2016 | Categories: 2016 Season | Comments Off on Who’s Sailing Sunday – Where?
Slow start to the NE champs on Newfound Lake in Bristol, NH today but patience was rewarded with good breeze and four good races in the books- several cruising boats of all types were out enjoying the lake as well/. Plenty of room, Good time had by all- Come join the fun tomorrow!
Don’t forget if there are three of any type of boat on the start line we will have a start for you-
Will try a few more races tomorrow to make it seven and then possibly roll right into another event, maybe the Beanpot?? Stay tuned-
It may have been a mirage or maybe a hallucination but we saw the one and only Steve Duhamel go flying by on the ice in his super flash, totally illegal all Carbon DN…. Good to see him- not wearing his helmet but rocking out with his iPod cranked. Probably listening to Britney Spears.
Dinner a the Lucky Dog in Plymouth tonight if anyone is interested-
Forecast tomorrow looks promising- If you were on the fence about coming up don’t hesitAte to jump in the car!
Results below- Thanks to Loretta Rehe for tabulating them via phone from Detroit!
Hope to see y’all tomorrow! T
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03/05/2016 | Categories: 2016 Season | Comments Off on NE Results So Far
New England Ice Yacht Association 