To follow up on T’s post about the Mystery at Deep Creek, they also have the only Monotype XV in the US. Must be something in the water. We look forward to seeing them at the Swap Meet. Maybe they’ll bring us some of that Deep Creek.

…That’s right, I said the Maryland fleet! There is DN activity down south in Deep Creek, MD. Where the heck is this? About due west of Baltimore and south-southeast of Pittsburgh, that’s where. In other words high in the hills and far enough from the Chesapeake Bay to be safe from marauding sea nettles and man-eating blue crabs.

These folks have been steadily building their fleet from zero (or close to it) just a few years ago to seventeen DN’s and counting! VERY impressive and we are pestering Ray Gauthier to tell us all how they did it. We may see a few of these guys at the meeting and a few are setting their sights on the Western Challenge in Minnesota in about a month. Keep an eye out for them! Check out the photos of this crew below-

We also have a report from Maryland’s Eastern Shore (Gawd’s Country- no shortage of nettles and blue crabs there) that one Ramblin’ Roger may be headed this way for the meeting this Sunday- Watch out for him too!

On the subject of the meeting we should have a good crowd; at least one van-load of sailors will be heading in from LI, who knows how many Maine-iacs will be there, and a good bet some PA and NY sailors will be in so we will have all points of the compass covered. Be there or be square….

Not too late to sign up and pay online here:

Description	Price
2016 Membership	$30
2016 Membership and Lunch	$40
2016 Membership for one & Lunch x2	$50
Lunch Only	$10

See y’all in a few days!

THINK ICE!

James “T” Thieler

Found the Bill of Sale for my original DN in a box over the weekend. Wow, this will be my twenty-first year with my own ice boat. Nothing compared to Leo Healy and some of our long term ice veterans, but still something to reflect on. I am looking forward to sailing with you all for the next 20 years.

Each season was different. Both conditions as well as the amount of time I was able to commit or steal from other less exciting time drainers.  One constant in all the ever changing ice conditions is our annual meeting and swap meet. Time to stand around in the open air kick some runners and chat with friends an easier task without helmets and goggles. you last saw with helmets, goggles, gloves and gaiters. There will be people from all corners of New England and the North East. Green and White mountainers, plenty of flat landers as well as coastal and off shore island dwellers.

Come out for an event that is not weather dependent, baring a hurricane or Nor Easter. Many of you have already paid your dues and lunch online. Thank you! We need to hear from the rest of you. Thanks to all the rest who book below. Of course you can pay at the door but please RSVP me john@neiya.org or Bob our treasurer at treasurer@neiya.org. Booking ahead or letting us know really does help smooth out the process. For lunch and dues just click here other options below.

While you have your Card out, consider getting some club fleece. Links are on the right.

See you on Saturday,

John Stanton
DN 5023
NEIYA Vice Commodore
john@neiya.org

P.S. Lunch is only $10 this year and is subsidized by the NEIYA and there will be plenty Swedish Meatballs but only if we can plan ahead.

P.P.S. Don’t forget to put up items you have for sale https://neiya.org/classifieds/ and and bring them along to the swap.

Description	Price
2016 Membership	$30
2016 Membership and Lunch	$40
2016 Membership for one & Lunch x2	$50
Lunch Only	$10
If you must pay at the door, please email your intent to come via email john@neiya.com or treasurer@neiya.org

Oliver Moore recently gave us an excellent outline of the racing schedule for 2016, and if there’s ice for racing, there’s most definitely ice for cruising. The cruisers aren’t nearly as fussy, sailing on the most ridiculous crap imaginable. Witness last years circumnavigation of Frye Island from Nason’s Beach on Lake Sebago. We had 1-2′ waves of frozen stuff in 25kts. But three out of four made it back in one piece. Not bad, not bad at all.
Below we have a piece from the CIBC archives to jog the imagination. We should all go racing as often as possible, but just as often you should go for the pure joy of exploring and sailing fast on a wild lake.

Damariscotta Sailing 2/22

by billbuchholz
We need to have a discussion about the trend toward grade inflation. Some people become so desperate after a spell without sailing that they’ll see any piece of crop plate and dub it the Yellow Brick Road. The Grade 8 ascribed yesterday was just around the pit area and as far out as a fellow might want to walk in a howling wind with driving snow. In actual fact, taken as a whole, it’s probably more like a 4.

The sailing was great when you realized the boat was not going to explode from the rough ice. Sailing fast was actually better because at higher speeds the wind noise began to drown out the sound of smashing shell ice. A few of us ventured south through the narrows into Muscungus Bay, and then down the river almost Damariscotta Mills. The same open water that stopped us last year from going all the way down was still there. So this dream remains. The north wind blew straight down the river and never failed. There are plenty of smooth patches upon which to tack and gybe so keeping the boat wound up was easy. There’s just something so magical about sailing on a narrow river. You need to watch out for overhanging trees as you place you tacks precisely on those lovely smooth spots near the shore. There is a destination: how far will we get this time. The gybes go on and on like free falling or downhill skiing.

The Narrows is in good shape. Again, choose the smooth ice for maneuvering. The rest of the group stayed close to the pits. The ice along the west shore is the best, and especially good in the south west corner. That’s where the only pressure ridge exists, and it only blocks access to the shore there. We didn’t discuss it as a group, but I sailed past what appeared to be a frozen hole about the size of a hot tub, surrounded by a low berm of frozen snow. It looked like there were branches in the ice. This was just beyond the first island. We should mark it tomorrow.

The only damage of the day was Outlaw’s sheet block cassette, which was pinned with a hollow 1/4? aluminum tube. The tube sheared and the cassette bent. We were deep in the south end at the time, but were able to rig a temporary sheet from a spare block.

Thanks to Ben Fuller for breaking up the snow blocking the ramp. Also sailing today were Lloyd, Frank Able, Bunting, Curtis Rindlaub, Hal and John Eastman
There will be sailing tomorrow, boats are on the ice. Snow storm moving in Saturday night into Sunday. As the case always seems to be: this it it!

Just a couple of weeks till our annual event. Soon we will be counting down the days…

Please pay your dues and lunch online today. Don’t worry you do not have to have PayPal, any credit/debit card will do.

Lunch is a club subsidized $10 this year. Yes, half off from last year! Our treasurer Bob Haag would appreciate online payment or at least let him know (treasurer@neiya.org) you’re coming for an accurate head count. There will be plenty of Swedish meatballs.

Description	Price
2016 Membership	$30
2016 Membership and Lunch	$40
2016 Membership for one & Lunch x2	$50
Lunch Only	$10
Mail in Form

If you have any extra gear be sure to list it in the classified section and drag it to the swap meet. Your old gear will make someone very happy.

Think Ice and see at the Meeting,

John Stanton
DN 5023
NEIYA Vice Commodore

Here we see CT DN sailor Eben Whitcomb doing a little research on his new CSI rig- comparing and contrasting with his trusty (and well tanned) older one.

What did he find out? One very interesting thing was that the new rig is slight-CLASSIFIED! TOP SECRET INFORMATION DELETED!

Looks like I’ve already revealed too much. Suffice it to say that Eben should be going well this season- If you want to know more you might be able to get some details out of him at the NEIYA swap meet, coming up soon on November 7! Be there or be square- details below-

Think Ice!!

This just in from small craft and DN enthusiast Ed Thieler down in MD- He found this little DN-like beauty down in NJ recently. His report here:

“As you know NJ has a long and proud ice yachting heritage. I found this one on display at the tuckerton baymen’s museum.

Note the cockpit cover – those Jersey guys put covers on many of their small boats, especially sneakboxes and melon seeds, primarily to keep out snow, leaves, and varmints when the boats are not in use.

Note the hinge – you can sit in the cockpit with feet covered and just your head and shoulders out – this is exactly how they hunt from a sneakbox – set out your decoys, pull it up on the marsh shore, sit in it, shotgun in hand, and call in the ducks. the earliest sneakboxes even had the daggerboard trunk off center, on the cockpit side, for more room to sit.

Except for the garish patriotic paint job – no ‘camo’ here – i wonder if an iceboat was ever used that way?”

Think Ice! From MD

Ed Thieler
Easton, MD

Scott Valentine checks in with the second phase of the LI training regimen…. Sounds like he has been wearing his new spikes indoors and out and has them fully broken in-

“After spending summer months of training inside the house (wife still doesn’t forgive me for all those dimples in the floor) and at the same time, training outside (the lawn looks great from aerating it), it is time to move outside.
The training now moves to a very large concrete parking lot at a secret training location with ocean views.”

Scott Valentine
DN 4925

Richard Gluckman has acquired a pile of gear from Jane Pegel- All very nice stuff and I think all for sale- See the classified ad section on this site for more info or email Richard directly at rgluckman

In the meantime compare the cool “exploded” view of all the DN gear with that shown on the back of Pink Floyd’s 1969 masterpiece, UMMAGUMMA.

Bring back any slightly distorted memories for anyone?

Thanks Richard and Think Ice!

James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840

401 258 6230
t_thieler

First of all, only one month (more or less) until the NEIYA meeting and swap meet on November 7- Register and pay up by clicking the links below- Don’t miss it!

2016 Membership – $30
2016 Membership and Lunch – $40
2016 Membership for one & Lunch x2 – $50
Meeting Lunch Only – $10

Second of all there is only two months to the Great Western Challenge, the big season opener for DNs and Ice Optis out in Minnesota! December 4-6, exact location to be determined but most likely out in the boonies. This is a great way to kick off the season- Big country out there and every road trip for the rest of the year seems short in comparison… I know several NEIYA sailors planning to head out- the more the better so put it on the calendar!

Think Ice, it’s gettin’ chilly out there…

James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840

401 258 6230
t_thieler

Scott Valentine checks in to show us what’s doing out on LI…

Just to let you know how we do training on Long Island. The first photo is part one, which you must do for several days before moving to part 2. You will notice it is important to wear your special custom fat feet track spikes. It’s tough on the floors in the house, but they are great for aerating the lawn! Stay tuned….

Scott Valentine
DN 4925