It’s Out There But Needs Scouting
Things are looking promising we have had a couple preliminary reports in from New Hampshire but they both need a closer look.
Charlie S reports on Wentworth, Nice resurface of lake Wentworth in Wolfeboro, NH.
Smooth grey ice top grade 6-7. All drain holes solid with 4+ inches of clear. Most ice 6+. That’s as deep as my drill goes. No shell ice. Just need wind.
VC Jay Whitehair sent in the picture of Lake Mascoma but has not set foot on it yet. A resident on the lake described “it looks like glass”.
Excellent public access with ample parking at the Shaker bridge. Stay away from the bridge area for the thin ice due to current. Before recent weather, there was plenty of ice thickness. It needs to be reassessed but should be awesome. New surface.
Treasurer Bob Haag reports that Bantam in Litchfield, CT took a major hit from yesterday’s weather and needs some sustained low temps to bring it back into play
There are additional reports of developing conditions at Sunapee and a couple nights of cold still needed. Like the others additional scouting must be done.
Anyone want to buddy up and check these prospects? Leave comments on this post or drop a not on the Forum at the top menu. Find someone to scout with DO NOT go out alone. If we want to sail this weekend the ice has to be checked.
After a short hiatus, NEIYA burgees are available once again. Show your iceboating spirit fly it from your halyard in the pits or your car antenna in the parking lot. They are hand made right here in Guilford CT by the Sail Bag Lady and made to last in a stiff breeze and will be around a long time. They are priced at our cost which is $40.25. Click here to purchase online
Let’s communicate about finding, scouting and sailing together. Comments in this post or in the forum. Several newbies have reached out to me in the past several weeks and they just need a little guidence. Eben Whitcomb helped out newbie Spencer Sprecker on Friday at Quaboag and he is sold on ice boating! Looking forward to seeing you out again Spencer.
There is a good crowd planning to head to the mid west for the DN North Anericans at the end of the week so some of the usual suspects will not be sailing locally but there are more iceboaters here than will be traveling so buddy up and have fun.
Think Ice where ever you go,
John
DN5023
john@neiya.org
Ice Is Coming Back To Us
After what was a spring-like weekend temps are coming back to freeze up the Zambonied lakes and ponds. Venues need to be checked thoroughly but reports are coming in of some great potential.
We are keeping an eye on Sunapee in NH.
There were eyes on Bantam in Litchfield CT over the weekend and local wisdom a few cold nights might make it ready to sail. Again this is just a tease, we need some more cold and have it thoroughly checked out.
If you are planning on checking it out please double and triple buddy up. People have been leaving notes in the comments section below as well as the Forum at the top of the page.
Many of us (current count is 10) are planning to head out to the midwest for DN North Americans but I am betting we will have sailing choices closer to home. Be vigilent, scout safely and communicate with the rest of the group. And don’t forget to check in on the guys in Maine https://iceboat.me.
Think Ice,
John
DN5023
john@neiya.org
P.S. Don’t forget to report back on your scouting activities.
Coming in HOT or maybe NOT
Hello,
With just a week remaining until the North Americans and warm temperatures forecast for this weekend, I decided my day job could take a back seat to my DN training. T was up for heading up to Quaboag this past Thursday and I was glad. My goal for the day was to improve my leeward mark roundings.
To me, the two most exciting aspects of any one design sailboat race is the start and the leeward mark rounding. I love the strategy, the jockeying for position, and the count down at the start. At a leeward mark rounding, fun happens when several boats start to convene towards the mark. You execute your strategy to get inside, you call for room, you come in wide, sheet in, and ideally you are close hauled just as you round up hugging the mark close enough to almost touch it. Love it!
Well, I did that aggressive maneuvering last year at the leeward mark in my DN up in Vermont on Lake Champlain when the wind was pretty big. Chris Gordon’s words still haunt me. "Well, she was coming in really HOT."
Do I remember flying out of my boat? No
I just remember the excitement I felt at the approach, wanting to catch Eben, and seeing Chris standing by the starting area. Then, I was sliding on my back across the ice with my eyes still closed. When I finally stopped, I took a deep breath. I looked back and saw my boat dismasted about 30 yards behind me. Chris came over to make sure I was okay. I was fine and so was my boat. Reconstructing the scene, the gash in my right pant leg meant my leg hit the side stay as my body lifted and flew out of the boat. Is that horizontal G force action? I don’t know, but I don’t wish to repeat it and I have been hesitant at the leeward mark roundings ever since.
So on Thursday two marks were set, the breeze was up, and doing a ton of leeward mark roundings was my job for the day. My teacher is patient and wise. He gave me all the tips and advice he could give, but I gotta DO IT to LEARN IT.
Hour after hour after hour with a small warm up break in the van I basically went around and around and around the two marks. I even started cutting short the windward leg so I could fall off and build speed and just do more leeward mark roundings. I was fast downwind and with my mast all popped out I’d do my final gybe. With my eyes on that mark and still going fast, I’d bear off straight down to lose some speed as instructed. Then, I’d ease the sheet and head up and make my approach. But I just could not pick the best point at which to turn up and round the mark close hauled. I’d either come in too HOT or NOT.
After sailing directly behind T a bunch of times and trying to mirror his track, I thought I had the whole approach down. In a late day attempt, with a few folks watching, I felt confident I was going to nail it. Unfortunately, I didn’t. Instead, I almost spun out. Argh!
I kept trying and I remained inconsistent. It was getting late in the day, my arms were getting tired, and it was not going to happen. Clearly, more work remains.
I will head to the North Americans with some leeward mark regret. Maybe if I just stayed out another hour, but the moon was rising over Quaboag when we finally called it a day.
I’ll keep you posted on the trip west.
Think Ice!
Karen DN 5630
NEIYA Secretary
More Wing
Thanks to Deane Williams for more photos of Gervolino’s Wing. Have to love it!
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Best Wing Ever
Have to hand it to J.P. Gervolino for the job he did on this wing mast. Not only is it well engineered and built, but the paint job and fighter-plane wing motif wins style points galore! Note the fuel fill and machine gun barrels…. I have to wonder if they are functional….
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Quabog Pond 1/8&9 | Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club
Nice report and photos from Quaboag- thanks to the CIBC scribe Bill Bucholz for posting-
Quaboag 1-9-20
Whizzes, J-14’s, DNs, a Lockley Skimmer, and a bunch of Freeskates had a great day on Quaboag Pond- ice was good all around except where the creek flows in-
Congrats to newbie MacKenzie Reeser for getting her DN out for the first time!
No doubt people will be sailing there tomorrow- if you go take all precautions and have a blast!
QUABOAG POND Thursday
There will be some people sailing Quaboag Pond in Brookfield MA today- The intel on the lake is that it is generally good-
As always, stay away from the river entrance and the south shore and exercise caution at all times-
IF the weather doesn’t get too bizarre we may be holding a regatta this weekend- stay tuned for that-
That said we will see you there if you dare!
T Thieler US 5224
2020 DN Western Region Regatta – YouTube
Some good raw video from last weekend’s event in WI- have a look and listen! Love all the accents and the action!
ICE ALERT! – LRIBYC 1st Club Meeting 2020
TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT!
AT WEEKS YACHT YARD.
Great refreshments. Great conversation. Great atmosphere.
7:00 pm the fun starts at Weeks Yacht Yard in Patchogue.
View attachment for directions.
ALL ICE HOUNDS ARE WELCOME, YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A MEMBER.
TIS THE SEASON… THE HARD WATER IS UPON US.
So many places to choose. All we need are the ice reports.
We need to keep in contact.
Club Membership STILL only $15, must be received by Tuesday, January 7, 2020
to be eligible for year end honor, achievement, competition awards and discounts on
competition entry fees. Any membership application received after 1/7/2020 will still
be included in the automatic “ICEALERT!” email communication system but will NOT
be eligible for any year end awards.
For more information pertaining to how your club dues are specifically used,
please see your treasurer John Ziermann.
If you are a returning member, please fill out the 1st page if there have
been any changes to your membership info.
For NEW members, please fill out both sides of the attached document so
that we can add your information to our list of members and place you on
the automatic “ICEALERT!” email communication system.
“ICEALERT!”, will instantly provided you with the latest ice reports for
the upcoming season, weekend, or day, and will allow you to instantly
communicate with all of our club members.
Knowing when and where to sail is so important, so don’t miss out on
“ICEALERT!”. Get your membership fee in by January 7, 2020.
Please create a check “Pay To The Order of” LRIBYC and send to:
LRIBYC
C/O JOHN ZIERMANN
58 BELLECREST AVE.
E. NORTHPORT, NY, 11731-1205
Important Dates:
January 7, 2020 – Club Meeting (first Tues. of the month)
January 7, 2020 – FIRST DAY OF THE 2020 CLUB MEMBERSHIP PRIVILEGES
February 4, 2020 – Club Meeting (first Tues. of the month)
March 3, 2020 – Club Meeting (first Tues. of the month)
April TBD – Season Ending Awards Dinner
The club board members, with the approval of the club membership, shall at
all times have the absolute right to suspend, for a definite or indefinite
amount of time, the membership privileges of any member whom the club
membership finds has violated any rule, regulation or policy of the Club
or whose behavior is abusive or disruptive to the operation of the Club.
Thank you …. THINK ICE! ……. Thank you for your support.
John Ziermann DN-5426/Gambit/LS45/Treasurer
Thoughts On Starts
You may have seen the article NEIYA rookie Karen Binder wrote on her starting learning curve- It was picked up by the folks at Scuttlebutt https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/ Very cool that they are giving iceboating so much coverage and we appreciate it a lot!
See the article here:
How they do it on the ice >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News
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Quabaug Checked yesterday
Sorry for late notice but figured someone people may be able to sail last minute on a Tuesday.
Bob S reported this morning. “checked quaboag yesterday 5 to 6 inches sailed the north end for 3 hrs. going back today check south side wind permitting.
Quaboag lake Brookfield ma.”
Be sure to check with Bob or locals before venturing out. Quaboag has know hazzards that must be respected.
Can this survive fri and saturdays thaw? Who knows get it while its there.
John
John@neiya.org
P. S. Bob thanks for sharing!
Boat moving dolly for a Whizz
John Pepper checks in with this idea to save wear and tear on your back and your wallet- take a look….
Hi guys,
I am putting together a system to set up a ‘big’ ice boat and not hurt my back, so here is a method to do so.
I copied a snowmobile dolly to make a lift for the Whizz. They work great and are genius in design simplicity. It is a big wheel lever that goes under near the balance point and has a long arm to create mechanical advantage.
The handle is tied to the rear deck. Varying rope length allows height change, maybe with blocks and a cleat in the future. The goal was solo unloading from trailer and lowering onto the plank. I need to tweak the geometry slightly to go higher, but its nearly there. It rolls easily. The force to lift the bow is about ten pounds. The lift bar is at the bulkhead at the front of the cockpit. Gravity holds it there. It moves, lifts and turns well, albeit on a smooth driveway.
After set up, it goes out over the bow.
Handle is bent from a 1 inch EMT ($10), the donor wheel chair was $30. The 1.5 inch square tube i had in the shop. The EMT slip fits, for storage.Total $40, Wheel chairs may be had cheaper, but i was in a hurry. Detailed pics to follow. I hsve some tube left over if anyone is going to build one.
I have an improved connection locking means in process, but as with the trailer lid, am excited, and wanted to share the progress.
Think ice.
Regards,
John
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Headin’ east…
Sailwave results for 2020 WESTERN REGION at Lake Puckaway 2020
Western Regionals are in the books!
Three races today in good breeze saw tight racing at high speeds- the stuff that keeps us all coming back!
Nothing like flying down the run skate to skate w the next boat over at 50mph… can’t find that in the summer that’s for sure-
The battle for first was between Sherry and Struble- amazing to watch these two world champs push each other around the course- Struble was able to hold Sherry off for the win.
Close- and I mean CLOSE- behind the battle for third was between Berger and Thieler- After two very close races it came down to whoever beat who in the last race- It was an old-time-hockey style bloodbath of a race with high speeds, lead changes, and nothing left on the football field. (Tired of the mixed metaphors yet?) Thieler was ahead at the finish and goes home w the bronze.
GREAT weekend of racing- thanks to all RC, scorers, helpers, and competitors!
Results here:
http://dniceboat.org/idniyra/2019westernchallenge.html
Sailwave results for 2020 WESTERN REGION at Lake Puckaway 2020
Here is the regatta so far- five races yesterday in medium to strong breeze saw Struble and Sherry setting the pace with a whole pack hot on their heels- Great racing, great turnout too! NEIYA represented well by Atkins, Gordon, Miller, Kent, and Thieler.
Results so far here:
http://dniceboat.org/idniyra/2020westernregional.html
Looking forward to more races today- will see what the weather has in store for us-
Think Ice!
Western Regional DN Champs Update
Here’s a little photo essay on the trip so far:
Loading the gear into Jeff Kent’s amazing Sprinter van.
Big Ford vs Giant Mercedes… guess which one we took?
This is a rest stop in Illinois. Really.
This is the bathroom at the Acorn Lodge, Princeton, WI. Love the color scheme. Also the people that run this place are the BEST. No better spot if you’re out this way.
Stand by, more to come….
T
Western Regional DN Champs part two
Heading out to race course on Puckaway Lake
End of the day in the pit- five races for each fleet- not bad!
Chris Miller’s foot heating system, bottom view.
Miller’s foot system, top view.
More to come, stay tuned….
NEIYA Heads West
Western Regional DN champs were called ON (see IDNIYRA site) for Puckaway Lake in Princeton WI so the three dopes in the photo (Kent, Miller and Thieler- who all should know better) decided to abandon common sense and head on out.
Not surprising as common sense has little to do with sailing in general and iceboating in particular. As well all know!
Not to late to hit the road if you are interested in joining the fun- Will be sending updates from the road-
Stay tuned and if you know of sailable ice email info to ice@neiya.
From the road….
100 Starts – Progress Report
Hi,
As I mentioned in my last post, my goal was to do 100 starts ASAP. After two days on Quaboag last weekend with no wind practicing starts were pretty much all I did each day. T, Jeff Kent, and Eric Anderson joined in for various parts of the those sessions. This weekend at Lake Something With a Very Long Name in Sidney Maine it was a combination of starts and scratch racing. By yesterday afternoon, I met my goal of doing 100 starts. Here are some things I learned.
- Pointy spikes make a difference. On a track, I am a very fast sprinter. At the Western Challenge and for one day at Quaboag I was not able to get off the line, push my boat as I expected, or beat anyone in the sprint aspect. At the Western Challange, I thought it was just because I am beginner. But on Saturday my traction wasn’t great and I was getting frustrated because I was getting beat so handily right off the line. Saturday night I finally looked at the bottom of my borrowed spikes and compared them to a new set. New spikes are POINTY. Mine spikes were ground little nubs with some even missing from the tread. Fortunately, a nice person switched the old nubs out and Sunday was a whole different ball game in terms of traction and speed. I have been so focused on "boat stuff" I didn’t think my own personal gear made that much difference. Then, for Christmas, Santa got me a set of spikes that fit my foot better and zoom zoom. Lesson learned: Good gear can help.
- I was realized I was standing too upright. When I ran my feet were getting too close to the plank. Since I am dreadfully fearful of repeating the superman scene at a start, I realized I was looking down too much at my feet rather than ahead. Solution, crouch down at the start and lean more into your shroud and tiller with your upper body. Hard to explain, but my feet are now farther aft of my plank and I get a longer stride and don’t come to close to my plank when I run. Lesson learned: Body position matters.
- I also started to feel as though I was not getting a good push on the tiller. I realized my tiller and tiller extension were too long for my body type. Fortunately, a nice person cut a few inches off and, wow, what a difference. I can really push and the boat moves. Lesson learned: Your boat needs to become an extension of you and must be tuned to you.
By yesterday morning, I was consistently really fast off the line and easing to my boat smoothly automatically. By 3:00 pm yesterday everyone else had left for the day. It was getting cold and you could feel the air was getting wet. I was cold, but I still wanted a bit more practice so T and I agreed to go back to van to warm up. Just as we were getting ready to go back out to the ice, six bald eagles circled around and landed in the area where we’d been sailing all day. They were standing in a circle as though they were having a meeting of some sort and commiserating to each other "Finally, those ice boaters have left the lake." Little did they know that I wanted to practice more. We gave them some time to chat and then T and I went out for one more fast start, a very fast upwind leg, and then a gybing practice session downwind. We got off the ice just as the snow was starting. It was lovely and peaceful and I felt a great sense of accomplishment.
I said on the van ride home, the next element I need to practice is leeward mark roundings. Stay tuned.
And as secretary my New Year’s request is IF YOU HAVE NOT RENEWED YOUR MEMBERSHIP PLEASE DO SO ASAP! Look to the right and you will see the area to click and renew!
Happy New Year and Happy Ice Time,
Karen Binder DN 5630
NEIYA Secretary
Oil Change!
Dave Fortier looking for the oil drain plug on Messolonski Lake on Saturday.
Really what he was doing was checking out the boom block adjustment system on Karen Binder’s DN.
Couldn’t resist posting and also check out the ice! Was a good plate- hope it survived the snow…. stay tuned
Good day in Maine
A good day in Maine for a bunch of Whizzes and few DNs, a CheapSkate, and a few Lockley Skimmers-
Light breeze on Messolonski Lake allowed all craft to rack up the miles on some ice that was a bit bumpy in patches but otherwise about an 8-10!
We will be keeping an eye on this lake for future events. Good launch ramp, lodging and food nearby, what more can you ask for!
Looks like snow on the way there but it’s New England, ya just never know!
Stay Tuned and if you have ice let us know at ice@neiya.org
Think Ice!
Messolonski Lake
Nice sailing on Messolonski Lake in Sidney, ME. Four DNS and and handful of Whizzes and other misc boats enjoyed good ice, albeit with one long pressure ridge down the middle of the lake. Will be there again tomorrow, hope we can do some scratch racing before the snow arrives- Launch from the ramp off Hosta Lane, just off Rt 23 on east side of lake.
Think Ice!
Sailing In Maine!!
Looks like we can salvage a day or so in Maine before the new year- take a look at the link and see what you think!
New England Ice Yacht Association 