Meanwhile, up near Montreal…. Stay tuned. Updates on the way as we get them

Hi All,

Baie D’Urfe still has about a foot of ice. I wasn’t able to break through after making about 9 “ hole. The top is covered with 1-3 cm of a frozen granulated snow that seems like a granuled sugar forming a type of a coating pancake like. I think the runner should go through it. I don’t think I have ever sailed on such a surface but I think it is still sailable. Closer to shore I found few drifts about 2” deep ( see photo) but I don’t think there were many or any on the lake. The wind forecast for today is about 20-30 km/h and that should help. Long story short until I rig the boat and try we will not know, so I am going to Bertold Park around 10 amand will rig my boat. Jacek Marzenski
KC 5247

Hey Folks-

Greetings from Kelly’s Landing in Greenville Junction, ME.

The weather is here there and everywhere….

Yesterday there was 4”-6” snow on top of two feet (according to locals) of solid black ice. In any case I did see some big pickup trucks driving on and off of the lake so that says something….

Overnight temps were high 40s / low 50s and light rain. Plus crazy gusting wind as a front went by. Sounded like a freight train out there, not to be confused with the actual freight trains that run behind the hotel here.

So at sunrise it was well below freezing, blowing snow and it looked like 90% of the snow had melted off the ice. Now at 8:30 it’s looking like the breeze is fading, sun coming out, and maybe good conditions for the weekend. I’m going to walk it and maybe sail it this morning and will send a report. Hopefully no shell

Too late to call an official regatta but we could have a great weekend of scratch racing and hanging out. Plenty of lodging I. Greenville and a good launch area….

I’ll be here all weekend, marks will be set and scratch races will happen if conditions are good!

Stay tuned….. in the meantime here are some shots of the lake this morning. Check the forecast and make a call!

T Thieler DN US 5224

Hey Folks-
Sad to say we are going to put the eastern champs on hold again…. Had a look at Moosehead today and there’s just a bit too much snow…. Bummer!

That said next week and beyond might be good; the locals tell me the ice under the snow is a good two feet thick so it might hang in there for awhile. Will keep an eye on it!

We’ve also heard rumors of Sebago Lake clearing off…. If anyone has any info on that let me know.

Stay tuned! T

Hey Folks-

The Moosehead Lake webcams are showing some snow… Hard to say how much or how heavy….

I’ll be headed up there tonight to take a look in the morning; Stay tuned here for a report early tomorrow.

Stay tuned! T

The drumbeat called and some twenty answered. They heard it, packed up, and stepped onto the ice for a proper day of spring sailing. Those who showed saw the window open and acted without a second invitation. Reaping the rewards of fast spring ice with propelled by a stiff sometimes gusty breeze.

By early afternoon the sun had its say, softening the top and reminding us that spring ice is always on borrowed time. We took the miles we were given and came off satisfied.

Shout out to John Brisson for getting the MIT iceboat team out on another lake. Many of the students will be shifting to their soft-water practice next week a tough transition, of colder and slower. It’s great to see the next generation of iceboaters ansering the call. See you all next season.

Eyes are turning further north. The Drumbeat has changed pitch to stomping moose hooves. Calling us to Moosehead.

James “T” Thieler is working to hold the IDNIYRA Eastern Championships at Moosehead this coming weekend. Stay tuned. And if racing isn’t your game, don’t let that stop you. Moosehead is huge with plenty of room and beautiful for all.

Moosehead was sailed last Thursday, as reported on iceboat.me. It’s a haul for most, no question. But the North Woods have a pull of their own, and the lake delivers. This is the kind of place that belongs on every iceboater’s list. Up there, they measure ice in feet, not inches.

Start making the plan. Sort the gear. Call your buddies. Figure out the road north.

Race it. Cruise it. Don’t miss it

Follow the stomping hooves to Moosehead,

Think Moose Ice,

John
DN5023
John@neiya.org

Hey Folks-

Once again the forecast during the week is looking favorable for decent ice at Moosehead Lake in central Maine this weekend.

AND the weekend itself looks good too!

So as IDNIYRA Eastern Regional Commodore I am calling the regatta on for the weekend.

Please email me at t_thieler@yahoo.com and let me know if you are interested, this will help me get a read on how many hotel rooms etc we will need.

Look forward to hearing from everyone! Stay tuned….

T Thieler DN US 5224

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.

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

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

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.

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.