Spring Sailing Begins
Last night’s call helped bring some order to our spring outing plans. No new ice has been reported, but with active sailing on Moosehead, Squam, and Sunapee, we have more than enough options. Winni still holds ice, though it has pulled away from shore at Brewsters Beach Wolfeboro.
For tomorrow, expect groups sailing out of State Beach on Sunapee, Greenville, ME (see iceboat.me), and Squam. Cones will likely be set up on Sunapee for anyone looking to take a few scratch race runs, regardless of class.
This report comes together in the waning hours of winter let’s make the most of this spring ice while we have it. Let’s hope the last winter post is but the beginning of a few more spring runs.
Stay sharp and be safe. The ice is always changing.
John
DN5023
John@neiya.org
If you want, I can tighten it further for email or add a slightly more poetic NEIYA tone like your earlier piece.
The Drums Beats On…
The drums beats on.
A steady, unmistakable call rising from lakes that reaches deep into the heart of every iceboater. The ice is speaking, she is calling us from near and far, offering rewards to those willing to listen.
That call carries on through the din. Through work, schedules, obligations, long-planned commitments, and the endless list of tasks that seem to anchor us away from the ice. There is always a reason not to answer. Cast off whatever is holding you back.
But the drums beat on.
Hear the call. Answer the call.
As already reported here and by Bill at iceboat.me, our big lakes are showing their thick, dark, and just a bit battle-scarred ice. The kind of ice that stirs the soul.
Tonight’s call will no doubt be a lively one. Where we have ice, where we go, and how we make the most of what’s in front of us will lead the discussion. Talk than.
The Spring season is speaking.
The drums are beating.
Will you answer?
John
DN5023
John@neiya.org
Group Sailing Sunapee Tomorrow 3-18
There will be a couple people sailing on Sunaee tomorrow morning. State Beach launch.
Get it while we still have the ice. The sun is getting higher in the sky with each days passing.
Have fun be safe.
Think Ice,
John
john@neiya.org
Lake Winnipesaukee
Did not make it out onto the ice but I expect similar conditions to Wentworth. The launch at Brewster beach has degraded and planks or rubba boots are needed. Open lead from the docks had extended further out a new leafs are forming.
Lake Wentworth
A check of the lake this morning showed there is still enough solid ice to sail on but vertical columns of bubbles are showing. Shoal areas around the points are opening up and there are numerous drain holes to dodge. The launch at rt 109 is still tight. There are a few slush areas under a frozen surface that should freeze with a cold night. Albee beach shoreline is open water.
Suzy snowflake and friends
Winnipesaukee
Checked out Lake Winnipesaukee this morning. 12-16” of ice with rough surface. Very few hazards ie fish holes and slush under the snowy areas. Worth an investigative sail if anyone wants a last hurrah. Some light snow predicted for tonight
There’s Ice, Lots of it Some Ready to Sail On
One of the most common questions over the past couple of weeks and throughout the year, has been simple: “Where’s the ice?” and “Where can I sail?”
For much of the winter the answer has been frustratingly consistent: it’s under the snow. Thick ice has been there all along, but buried and difficult to access.
But things are changing
Moosehead: Drill Baby Drill
To get a sense of just how much ice has built up on Moosehead Lake, take a deep breath and hold it while watching the full video below. The auger just keeps going and going. Here is the direct URL https://youtube.com/shorts/LUedwtFlGog
Bill Buchholz and the crew in Maine have been closely monitoring conditions on Moosehead. The ice is clearly there, and with improving surface conditions the “ready to sail” call is coming. Stay tuned and be ready to hit the road.
Thanks to Bob S.’s son for capturing the Moosehead auger video.
Weekend Options
For those looking to sail sooner, a few locations are currently being checked or sailed:
New Hampshire
Sunapee
Crews are actively scouting and may already be sailing depending on surface conditions.
Winnipesaukee
Charlie S. checked Wolfeboro Bay and reports there is plenty of ice in most places and considers the surface to be rough but sailable.
Maine
Damariscotta Lake
According to ace ice observer Bill Buchholz (iceboat.me), boats will be sailing there today.
Moosehead Lake
Still in a holding pattern for now, but the ice thickness is impressive. If surface conditions cooperate, the call could come soon. Keep your boat and travel kit ready.
A Word on Safety
Conditions remain variable everywhere. Snow cover, pressure ridges, and changing surfaces can hide hazards.
As always:
- Assume all ice is untested until you personally verify it
- Talk to those who have been out
- Scout first
- Sail conservatively until you understand the surface
- Don’t sheet in hard and go full throttle until you know what’s under your runners
Stay tuned for updates and hopefully see you on the ice this weekend. Looking like we will have some good cruising and can say for sure that were ever DNs congregate they will be rounding the marks for silver or fun.
Think (clear) Ice,
John
DN5023
John@neiya.org
DN EASTERNS- STAND DOWN
Unfortunately the weather is throwing a few curveballs at Damariscotta; snow, rain/snow, and either light winds or gusts into the 30’s depending on which forecast you’re looking at.
This being the case we’ve decided to table this one for now and hope for a better shot next weekend.
Stay tuned!
DN EASTERN CHAMPS UPDATE
Hey Folks-
We are hearing enough good things about Damariscotta Lake in Jefferson, ME to call the DN Easterns ON for this Saturday, March 14th.
A full report on the launch, lake and weather is expected by about 10 AM Friday morning so stay tuned to this site for details.
One way or another it’ll be interesting! Don’t put the boats and gear away yet… Also keep in mind that we have sailed Moosehead Lake into mid-April a few times. Food for thought!
OK, more later… Think positive! T DN US 5224
DN EASTERNS…. Hopefully
Hey Gang-
Just wanted to let everyone know that this season is not done yet!
It’s still cold at night up north and the Birches webcam on Moosehead Lake shows some promising pictures…. Maybe some other sights further south could be sailable as well. We hope to have some first hand reports in the next few days so keep an eye on this website.
We really want to get the Eastern Champs in before we stick a fork in this season so don’t stow the gear yet!
If you have never sailed Moosehead before you really need to. It’s way up north, the ice goes on and on and on, and the scenery is amazing. The clear night sky is something to see as well!
So cross your fingers, stay loaded up, make sure your angles and plates are in good shape, and hope to see everyone this weekend!
T Thieler
Watuppa Sailing Last Sunday
Despite a forecast for light winds about a dozen boats showed up to make some tracks on Watuppa Pond in Fall River last Sunday!
About 8 DNs had a bunch of short scratch races around the marks; it was a great chance to experiment with rig tuning and boat setup. We did a bit of boat-swapping as well, that is always very instructive. We didn’t keep score but Atkins showed that he still has the mojo and several other boats were in the hunt as well. We also welcomed two new sailors, Al and Rowan. Watch out for these guys!
Meanwhile a handful of Whizzes and turbo’ed up DNs were having a blast ripping through the drifts closer to the shoreline. Quite a sight and a good time had by all!
In any case it was a great day and we all made it home before the snow started. Looks like southern New England is done for awhile but maybe, just maybe, northern parts of NY, VT and ME might have dodged the bullet. Stay tuned!
Sailing Sunday!
Hope springs eternal! Thieler, Atkins and maybe a few others will be sailing out of the South Watuppa Boat Ramp tomorrow (Sunday the 22nd).
Thieler and Stanton walked the lake today, found a bit of slush but a good base underneath. There is one ridge the looks hazardous near the eastern edge of the lake but it is easily spotted and avoidable. It’s only about 50 yards long.
It’ll be interesting to see if plates, angles, or some other runner is the best choice- bring them all and try them all!
I’ll be there around 9:30. Hope to see a few people!
T Thieler
The Ice We Know or Will Know For the Weekend 2-21-26
We continue to look for a sailing window within a narrowing band of sailable ice across the Northeast. Our larger lakes remain snow covered, and the current and future fronts moving through the region are not helping the coastal ice we have sailed or are monitoring.
A wintery mix is falling across much of the region with more to come. As a result, all previously sailed areas will need to be re-scouted, along with any new opportunities that may be developing. The Cape will be checked again, and new scouting is planned for Watuppa Pond in Fall River. Scouting is the key word, these areas are being evaluated and are not considered safe in any way till checked In addition coastal Midcoast Maine locations are also being monitored as well as information from the Champlain Valley and other points.
Where will we sail in the next couple of days? Ice will be checked Saturday, and we will have a clearer answer about Sunday after the checking is completed.
Conditions are changing, but opportunities remain. Stay tuned for updates.
Think Ice,
John
DN5023
John@neiya.org
And the winner of the Bean Pot is
To fulfill our insatiable need for instantaneous information I am posting just the results of the Bean Pot now. Full writeup to follow once I’m off the road.
Congratulations to Jeff Roseberry on the win. The second goes to Paul Camberland and third to Ed Demerest.
Congratulations to the top finishers and all that competed special thanks to our race committee. Again more on the day to come.
Think Ice,
John
DN5023
John@neiya.org
Doc Fellows Report
The Doc Fellows is in the books! Ten sailors showed up today to a shifty, surprisingly breezy, long pond near Brewster Massachusetts.
No breeze, bright sun, and high temps in the morning didn’t have any of us optimistic but sure enough the clouds rolled in and the breeze picked up and the ice stayed good all day.
Seven races were run and Paul Chamberland showed that putting the time in pays off! Today was his 40th day on the Ice this year and what better way to celebrate by putting together a consistent regatta. Congratulations to Paul on a well deserved win!
Out the top three were Jeff Roseberry in second and Sean Healey in third.
We will roll right into the Bean Pot championship tomorrow; same time and schedule as today, see the post about the Doc Fellows for information. Come and join the fun; tomorrow’s forecast looks pretty good!
Many thanks to Nina Fleming for tabulating the scores and posting them on SailWave for us and to Rick Bishop’s friend Craig for helping out with running races!
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WEEKEND REGATTA UPDATE
Hey Folks-
After a short discussion with Atkins we decided to tweak the regatta slate for this weekend. He rightly pointed out that the Eastern Champs should be on a big plate with plenty of room to stretch out.
So we will hold off on the Easterns and instead do the Doc Fellows this Saturday and roll into the Beanpot Regatta on Sunday. This regatta is the MA state championship and comes with a very cool trophy!
No matter what name we call it we should have some good racing! To paraphrase Shakespeare, “A rose by any other name is still a rose…”
So here are the details again:
Hey Folks! We are calling the Doc Fellows Regatta ON for this Saturday!
The place will be Long Pond, MA out on Cape Cod. Not the biggest lake in NE but it’ll do!
IF we get the regatta in on Saturday we may roll right into the Beanpot Regatta on Sunday. We will play that by ear.
The launch will be at Long Pond Brewster Beach. Take Rt 6 east, turn north onto Rt 124, take a right onto Crowells Bog Rd, and follow that until you see the launch area on your right. Follow these directions closely as there is more than one “Long Pond” out there….
We will have a skipper’s meeting in the parking lot at 9:30, with the first start at 10:30. Normal rules apply. All contestants must have proof of $300,000 general liability coverage. NO EXCEPTIONS!!
Saturday is Valentine’s Day so make sure to figure out how to work around that….
Stay tuned to this site for updates!
REGATTAS THIS WEEKEND!
Hey Folks! We are calling the Eastern Regional Champs ON for this Saturday!
The place will be Long Pond, MA out on Cape Cod. Not the biggest lake in NE but it’ll do!
IF we get the regatta in on Saturday we may roll right into the Doc Fellows Championship on Sunday. We will play that by ear.
The launch will be at Long Pond Brewster Beach. Take Rt 6 east, turn north onto Rt 124, take a right onto Crowells Bog Rd, and follow that until you see the launch area on your right. Follow these directions closely as there is more than one “Long Pond” out there….
We will have a skipper’s meeting in the parking lot at 9:30, with the first start at 10:30. Normal rules apply. All contestants must have proof of $300,000 general liability coverage. NO EXCEPTIONS!!
Saturday is Valentine’s Day so make sure to figure out how to work around that….
Stay tuned to this site for updates!
Weekends Outlook 2/7/26
It’s going to be cold again. But if you can push through the low temperatures, the payoff over the next few days will be worth it. The bonus is that our big lakes are continuing to build ice, and this looks like a pattern that’s going to stick around.
Reach out to your buddies and travel to what makes sense to you this weekend. And yes the weather may play a big part in your decision.
- Long Pond in Harwich, MA is being sailed today and tomorrow, with good reports coming in from the fleet already on the ice.
- Ninigret Pond in Rhode Island is being checked today. We’ll share an update as soon as we hear back from the scouting crew.
- Scratch racing on Lake Champlain, sailing out of Westport, NY, is shaping up nicely. There’s a solid contingent from New England and the broader Northeast, along with several friends joining in from Canada.
- Long Island continues to report sailable salt ice, which is always encouraging this time of year.
- Waiting on confirmation about Sebago
- There are is reports of sailing in Red Bank, NJ.
As always, stay tuned for updates, scout carefully, and sail safe. More as reports come in.Don’t get suckered into unsafe conditions.
Think Ice,
John
DN5023
John@neiya.org
Call “AAA“
It will probably happen to most of us in our Iceboating career, that we will have a breakdown on the ice. If we are lucky it will happen near the launch where tools and spare parts are nearby. Usually though it happens somewhere a mile away leaving us to our own resources to effect repairs or make it back with a long walk. If you happen to be on a small pond or bay. This is not too traumatic. On the other hand, long distance cruising can make a mishap a major undertaking.
The first thing you might want to consider is what I call, “pocket parts”. These are small things that take up little room but when needed can really save the day. Things such as, quick pins, slit rings, clevis pins, cotter pins, runner bolt and nut, 10 feet of spectra line, a few spare screws of varying sizes, a small crescent wrench, and the ubiquitous Swiss Army knife. A small shackle is also a great backup item. Since I have stay adjusters, I keep a couple of spare pins in the unused holes. It’s always nice to have more than one in case you see a mast down due to a lost pin. On the other hand if it’s a frayed stay, the spectra line can be rigged to at least get you home. Check out some videos on how to splice loops or tie knots as spectra acts a little different than other line material. Screws can refasten that block that pulled out or maybe even be used to hold the fuselage to the runner plank due to a broken stud. I did have a large fender washer to help in that case. Captive pin shackles on the halyard are a good choice. That way if it does let go you don’t have to search the ice for the missing pin.
If your craft has storage space feel free to add whatever you feel comfortable carrying. You don’t have to go too overboard though. My BDX and older DN has good storage behind the seat back. My super DN doesn’t have that luxury but I did make a set of saddle bags using some crampon bags from my old mountaineering days. I’ll usually carry a throw bag everywhere I go just in case. I’m working on a small backpack for my skimmer that will hang off the back.
Ice repairs can be quick and easy with the above mentioned parts. If, however, you suffer a RUD, ( rapid unplanned disassembly), more creativity may be needed. Sometimes all you can do is tie the pieces together and slog on back. Maybe some kind atv fisher person will help you drag the pieces back. Try to make it as slidable as possible such as lashing the runner plank on. Or if that is in two pieces, overlap and lash. I did have the opportunity to have this work as a fellow boater dropped a runner in a hole. The plank was still whole but no longer attached. After kick straightening a bent runner, we put our Boy Scout skills to work and tied everything together. The next piece was new to me as I played tow truck. The owner could sit in his boat and steer and sitting on the lashing also helped keep it tight. We then used my throw line to tow him back about 2 miles. We had two reefs to cross so I was concerned about releasing the tow rope quickly if needed. Therefore I suggested we just hold onto it at both ends, that way either of us could let go quickly if needed. My old arthritic hands said you’ll have to work on a better quick release system. He did have to push the last 100 yds but the tow worked.
Hopefully this will help anyone who feels they are still learning about this great pastime and with good ice still available, happy sailing, but be prepared.
Sailing Friday and Saturday!
Hello All- Paul Chamberland is getting a group together to do some scratch racing in Westport, NY this Friday and Saturday.
If you are interested the launch is just south of the Westport Lakeside Motel at 74 Champlain Ave, Westport NY, 12993
Scratch racing will likely commence around 10-11AM and if you know Paul it won’t stop until the sun goes down!
As always use caution and talk to locals and other sailors before letting it rip. The SW side of the bay has thin ice so avoid that; see attached photo!
If the plate is still ok in a week we are hoping to host the DN Eastern Regional Champs! Stay tuned….
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DN NA AND NATIONAL CHAMPS REPORT
Hey Folks! The troops are home and hopefully the dust has settled for everyone. More importantly, hope everyone is thawed out; It was a chilly week in Wisconsin!
The DN North American Champs went off in grand style out in Green Lake, WI. Head Honcho Tim Mower did a great job of managing the weather situation (a delicate balance of snow belts and extreme cold patches) and no doubt lots of opinions to land us at Green Lake. We took a long look at Lake Wawasee in northern Indiana but rough surfaces, a snow dump, and some open spots and other hazards that damaged at least one boat and one person convinced us that continuing to WI was the right call.
That said the hurry-up-and-wait at Wawasee wasn’t all bad. It gave everyone there plenty of time to catch up and talk smack and have some good food as well!
Once the call was made it was a short hop up to Green Lake. The surface was good, the breeze was up (except for one morning), and heat exhaustion was not a risk as temps stayed in the single digits for the whole event. Getting out of the warm van when we arrived to the launch site every morning took some willpower, let’s just say that…. BUT the racing was awesome. Seven races were run in three fleets, boat damage was minimal although Eben Whitcomb’s trusty WHARF RAT drew the short straw and split the hull and deck. Good news is Eben can build and/or fix anything and he had it glued and screwed and ready for action the next day.
At the pointy end of the Gold Fleet racing was tight with six different skippers winning a race (including a horizon job by John Curtis in race 4!) and only 7 points separating 1st from 5th places. Karol Jablonski kept it together to take the top spot followed by Struble, Sherry, Orlebeke and Thieler.
Top Canadian was Nicolas Mabboux in 7th, with Van Rossem, Curtis, Marzenski, and Druiven also making Canada proud! NE represented well also with Thieler and Roseberry doing well in the Gold and Chamberland, Demerest, Whitcomb, Silsby, Treusdell, Valentine making their presence known in the Silver. Bob Haag and Ben Shaevitz gave it their all in the Bronze!
Hats off to the gang that makes these events happen; Deb Whitehorse, Nina Fleming, Pat Heppart, the Foellers, Fred Stritt, Dave Ryan, Paul Hickman, Dan Williams, Maureen Bohleber, Greg Mullett, Dan Hearn, and probably some who I’ve forgotten. Big thanks to DN legend Joe Norton for showing us around his shop and letting us borrow a sweet 4-wheeler with a heated enclosure. If there was a week to have one of these this was it! If you think you know what goes in to running an event like this, trust me, you don’t. These people work their tails off to make these events happen and they take running them as seriously as we take competing in them!
For more details and results see the real report here: 2026 North American Championship – DN North America
Following race 7 the committee sent us right into race 1 of the National Champs but more on that later.
Stay Tuned!! T Thieler, DN US 5224
My apologies for the lack of action shots from on the ice; it was too cold for cameras or bare fingers! Here’s a few random shots though….
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The Rodent Brings Us Luck
Punxsutawney Phil may be calling for six more weeks of winter, but based on what we sailed this weekend and the solid, thick ice holding beneith the snow on our larger lakes, we appear to have considerably more opportunity than the shadow seeing rodent suggests.
Conversations and conjecture ran high on last Thursday’s call. We all acknowledged that many of our colder lakes had too much snow, so attention shifted to smaller waters that may have frozen after with the recent cold snap and missed the snow. Another possibility was snow that had settled, wetted out, and refrozen into white ice. The third option were the brackish coastal bays and estuaries, Red Bank and Oceanport delivered in New Jersey, with Orient Point and other Long Island locations also seeing good sailing.
The prize of the weekend, miles and miles of smooth black ice. Members of the Chickawaukieice boat Club (iceboat.me) have been patiently watching Sebago for a while and the past several days were doing what ever was in their earthly or otherwise powers to ward off a fresh batch of snow. Their patience and many others were rewarded this Sunday with what was described as epic black ice. I will leave further elaboration to those that make it up to Sebabo on Sunday and those that are there as I pen this post.
My choices for Saturday were pretty much between Long Island and the Jersey Shore. Since I had to be Nassau County Saturday morning traveling out to the end of the North Fork was an easy choice. There were a good twenty or so boats on the ice. Some DNs, J14s and smaller skeeters as well as a number of Lockley Skimmers and one infamous South Bay Scooter. The bays of Long Island are there home and most every ice boater I know has some odd attraction to a craft that doesn’t have active steering capabilities. Unfortunately, the wind didn’t come in all that strong so there was more catching up with Long Island friends then sailing but that’s iceboating sometimes.
The NEIYA DN North American Regatta contingent are all safe back east and ready do for the next regatta. Congratulations to T on winning the newly minted national Championship and very strong showing in the NAs with a fifth a mere seven points out of first. Jeff Roseberry finished with a 10th place in the NA Gold Fleet. In the NA Silvers Paul Chamberland took a third place. Eben Whitcomb clawed his way to 12th after sitting out race 2 and 3 with some boat damage and taking a fourth in the Nationals. In Bronze Bob Haag pulled off a tenth place with consistent finishes throughout the regatta. Stay tuned we may get some first hand accounts from those who competed on Green Lake. NA Results / Nationals Results
Looking ahead we have a growing number of opportunities across the region. We are running right into a feast from our state of white famine just a week or so ago. To name a few Sebago, NJ shore, Long Pond in Harwich MA, Some of the bays on eastern Long Island including a high likelihood of sailing the Great South Bay a prize notch in any iceboaters belt. Also in the line up is Lake Champlain again and the prospect of Hudson ice.
Plenty of activities await us including some vast cruising and we will be looking to get the Don “Doc” Fellows race completed soon. The Doc Fellows is the NEIYA’s longest running regatta originating in 1975. Keep your eyes open and report in any findings you have. Did you drive by a body of water that needs further checking? Let us know.
Think Ice and encourage the winds to scrub our ice clean,
John
DN5023
John@neiya.org
Post Storm Options
We have been left with a bit of a White Mess out there. If anyone needed a reminder, look out the window and if that’s not convincing the lingering shoveling pains will. The cold has definitely settled in, and with it some current and other opportunities coming into focus.
The bitter temperatures have locked up some areas we have not seen frozen in quite a while, including sections of the Hudson River and parts of the New Jersey shore.
People are out scouting a handful of potential opportunities, With more information expected later today or tomorrow. These include Ninigret Pond in Rhode Island and Long Pond in Harwich, Massachusetts. This is just what I know but take a look around the current cold may have helped in other locations. Please these areas are being looked at and conditions are not confirmed and should be considered not sailable till scouting is complete.
At the moment, confirmed options include Red Bank, New Jersey, and Hallock’s Bay on the North Fork of eastern Long Island. Sabago will be attempted by people in Maine check out iceboat.me for details.
Don’t forget to check in on the DN NA activities that will be wrapping up today and rolling into the newly minted US Nationals regatta. https://www.idniyra.org/2026-north-american-championship/
Hang on there is a lot of winter and a great deal of ice beneath the snow waiting to poke free. More updates as reports come in.
Think Ice,
John
DN5023
John@neiya.org
New England Ice Yacht Association 