Bull City 2,582 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Just opened my 2022 WoodenBoat calendar and January is an ice boat. So, I went to YouTube and searched on Ice Yachting. It was mesmerizing. Here's one to start with. It is amazing! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ishmael 10,553 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 That looks cold. I don't do cold. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chester 1,245 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 1 hour ago, Bull City said: Just opened my 2022 WoodenBoat calendar and January is an ice boat. So, I went to YouTube and searched on Ice Yachting. It was mesmerizing. Here's one to start with. It is amazing! I think it would be awesome. Our problem here is that we rarely get the "black ice" that iceboating lusts after, the water freezes and then it snows, the window where the lakes are frozen deep enough to support the sailing but no snow is pretty small. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chester 1,245 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 51 minutes ago, Ishmael said: That looks cold. I don't do cold. that's not cold Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TheDragon 898 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 It is great fun, but not unusual for us to get only a couple good days a year. You have to be willing to travel alot to find good clear ice, or live in Montana. A friend taking my daughter out for a spin last February on our little local lake. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
eliboat 581 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 My house is now on a lake, so I can see day to day if there is good ice or not. If there is… I go ice boating. Roaming around to find good ice, good wind and no snow is painful. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cyclone 559 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 A few more videos, click the upper right corner. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ProaSailor 674 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 This thread started six years ago: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Voiled 207 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Iceboats were the fastest mode of human transport for more than a century. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jim in Halifax 593 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 Many years ago I tried a DN on the frozen St. Lawrence River near Montreal. Probably the most fun sailing I ever did. I have looked longingly at ads for ice boats on Craigslist, Kijiji, etc. But where I live in Nova Scotia the ice conditions are seldom ever right for ice boating, so you have to be prepared to do a lot of driving. Cold is not a problem if you dress for it. I'd rather deal with -30 C than +30 C. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ProaSailor 674 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 https://www.iceboat.org/2021/06/12/mary-b-madisons-legendary-iceboat-film-released/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ishmael 10,553 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 13 hours ago, chester said: that's not cold If there's ice, it's cold. Not the brain-numbing cold of -40 in Saskatchewan, but cold regardless. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Diarmuid 1,338 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 I've been much tempted to build one, probably using a windsurfing rig. But I do wonder - Minnesota peeps clue me in, here -- how you see ice fishing holes and the frozen pile of shavings therefrom at 50mph, and what happens when you hit one. A kitewing and skates or skis would give more terrain options and be less dependent on conditions. ETA: Better vid showing range of use. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Upp3 253 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 1 hour ago, Diarmuid said: I've been much tempted to build one, probably using a windsurfing rig. But I do wonder - Minnesota peeps clue me in, here -- how you see ice fishing holes and the frozen pile of shavings therefrom at 50mph, and what happens when you hit one. From second hand experience you'll crawl to shore and get nice carbon fiber knee brace. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bull City 2,582 Posted January 2 Author Share Posted January 2 1 hour ago, Diarmuid said: But I do wonder - Minnesota peeps clue me in, here -- how you see ice fishing holes and the frozen pile of shavings therefrom at 50mph, and what happens when you hit one. I wondered the same thing. I imagine they must do some scouting at lower speeds. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chester 1,245 Posted January 2 Share Posted January 2 7 hours ago, Voiled said: Iceboats were the fastest mode of human transport for more than a century. i remember an article in wooden boat (?) years ago about ice boats and their history...they talked about HUUUUUGE ice boats on the Hudson River and speeds in excess of 100mph, if i recall correctly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chester 1,245 Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 6 hours ago, Diarmuid said: I've been much tempted to build one, probably using a windsurfing rig. But I do wonder - Minnesota peeps clue me in, here -- how you see ice fishing holes and the frozen pile of shavings therefrom at 50mph, and what happens when you hit one. A kitewing and skates or skis would give more terrain options and be less dependent on conditions. ETA: Better vid showing range of use. https://www.wissa.org/ the world ice and snow sailing championships were in saskatchewan in 2001. the site says at cedar lake...it was on blackstrap lake 20 minutes south of the city. it was a modest affair with maybe 20 people their but there were Finns and Quebecers and a couple of guys from Poland! the rigs were a wild collection of mostly home engineered and adapted gear. My buddy had his windsurfer on skates, there was a couple of DN's and a few guys on skis strapped to kites...i think the whole kite thing has evolved since then. There was a local with a 3 corner "boat" with snowboards as skis, he claimed to be able to sail across stubble fields and pastures if the wind got up! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Diarmuid 1,338 Posted January 3 Share Posted January 3 23 hours ago, chester said: i remember an article in wooden boat (?) years ago about ice boats and their history...they talked about HUUUUUGE ice boats on the Hudson River and speeds in excess of 100mph, if i recall correctly. Iceboating was big on the Finger Lakes (NY) where I grew up. Classic Skeeters were the ticket, for the rich kids. Those things could fly. Buddy Melges raced one in the Midwest. Not sure the lake even freezes solid these days. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bull City 2,582 Posted January 7 Author Share Posted January 7 Ice boating of yore images 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Grizz 155 Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 On 1/2/2022 at 6:52 PM, chester said: i remember an article in wooden boat (?) years ago about ice boats and their history...they talked about HUUUUUGE ice boats on the Hudson River and speeds in excess of 100mph, if i recall correctly. I got a ride on one of those big Hudson River beasts some years ago. I guess these days it’s pretty rare to have the appropriate conditions. What I would really like to do is get a ride on a Scooter iceboat, native to Long Island’s Great South Bay. I’ve never seen one in the flesh. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Justaquickone 67 Posted January 7 Share Posted January 7 Looks like you'd be pretty safe if you managed to crack through the ice ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Diarmuid 1,338 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 9 hours ago, Voiled said: The bottom picture is from 1611 by Adam van Breen weirdly i can't find anything about the location of this scene. It's in The Netherlands most important national art museum and things like these are pretty well documented most of the time. He worked mostly in Amsterdam and the Hague. Oslo, too, but this scene is clearly the Netherlands. I went looking for a civic building like the one shown on the right, but there's every chance the occupying Spanish burned it down. (Just finished H. Rider Haggard's Lysbeth.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Santanasailor 639 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 Looks like fun but like mountain biking, finding the right conditions would seemingly be a pain. (Around here, I never read about the fellows riding on their mountain biking trail but it seems that every week they are asking for volunteers to come work on it.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ishmael 10,553 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 33 minutes ago, Santanasailor said: Looks like fun but like mountain biking, finding the right conditions would seemingly be a pain. (Around here, I never read about the fellows riding on their mountain biking trail but it seems that every week they are asking for volunteers to come work on it.) I think they are making a desperate plea for new blood to show up with beer. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chester 1,245 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 On 1/7/2022 at 10:39 AM, Grizz said: I got a ride on one of those big Hudson River beasts some years ago. I guess these days it’s pretty rare to have the appropriate conditions. What I would really like to do is get a ride on a Scooter iceboat, native to Long Island’s Great South Bay. I’ve never seen one in the flesh. sweet!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chester 1,245 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 On 1/7/2022 at 11:26 AM, Voiled said: The bottom picture is from 1611 by Adam van Breen weirdly i can't find anything about the location of this scene. It's in The Netherlands most important national art museum and things like these are pretty well documented most of the time. Some "IJsschuiten" are preserved in museums and only a few are preserved and still actively sailed Although none of these resemble the schuit in the painting, here's picture of the complete collection of the single most prominent association still sailing historical ice yachts: Edit, as this is an ice yachting on youtube thread: hmmmm, build cradle for any old dingy and a 3 point frame on skates...why not? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
py26129 177 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 1 hour ago, chester said: hmmmm, build cradle for any old dingy and a 3 point frame on skates...why not? I have often thought of pushing the boat, on its cradle put onto the winter ice, ready for "auto launch" in yhe spring Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chester 1,245 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 13 hours ago, py26129 said: I have often thought of pushing the boat, on its cradle put onto the winter ice, ready for "auto launch" in yhe spring quit thinking about that!! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Knut Grotzki 158 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 I don´t want this thread to drift off - but for ice sailing I never can get an old video off my mind. Pardon for sharing this. In 2009 this was like unbelievable Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dilligaf0220 196 Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 During Prohibition there was pretty active 'fleet' of rumrunners flying across the Great Lakes between the US & Canada. Pretty soon law enforcement had their own boats. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cyclone 559 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Yesterday 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
py26129 177 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 There is a great discussion about the mast bend on the DNA at the beginning of this thread. Not sure where the thread drifted to after that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cyclone 559 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Here’s a more up to date discussion. Bottom line - bendy mast is faster up to a point. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dilligaf0220 196 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 Everybody knows REAL ice boats are steered from the STERN! Classic. Iron men with icey hearts. Modern. A gentleman never steers from the bow. One of those typical winter wonderland moments, where everybody is convinced somebody is doing it wrong. Who needs bikini's & beaches to have fun. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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