New England Ice Yacht Association

Help Solve an Ice Boat Mystery

theneiya — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:02:15 +0000

Mystery Ship: Please Help Us Solve the Riddle of this Unusual Metal Iceboat

The NEIYA has been asked to help solve a mystery involving the type, age, provenance, usage and ownership of an aircraft fuselage-style metal-skinned iceboat found in the basement of a bank building in Bridgeport, CT in 1990. The bank staff had no knowledge of the boat or how it came to be located in the basement. The boat is part of the non-public small boat research collection of the Mystic Seaport, located in the Rossi Mill building across the street from the north entrance to the Seaport. The collection will be viewable during the Wooden Boat Show June 29 to July 1 and is available for private viewing at other times. The collection includes two Great South Bay Scooters and two other iceboats in addition to the Mystery Ship.

The metal boat in question is 18’ 3” long, 4’ 4” wide and is made of heavy timber strakes supporting a wood frame sheathed in tin in the rear and fabric-covered aluminum in the front. It appears to be a stern steerer. In one of the pictures, a possible (double) runner can be seen. The purpose of the large steel ‘A frame’ atop the bow is unknown, but is presumably related to the rigging. The plank is an aluminum strut with a foil shape. There are four additional metal struts from 8’ to 13’ long. Note that in the pictures, the bottom of the boat is unsheathed. No sails were found with the boat. An examiner in 1995 noted that the construction and materials used suggested that the builder might have had experience with aircraft and suggested a build date in the 1920s or 1930s. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has been located near Bridgeport since 1929.

A major effort was made by the Seaport in the mid 1990s to learn more about this iceboat, with no luck. Hopefully the collective knowledge base represented by the NEIYA membership will produce a happy outcome. Please send a link to this article to your friends in other iceboat clubs. Reply to me with any questions or suggestions and I will summarize the responses at a later date.

Peter N. H. Burrow
NEIYA Treasurer

Please drop me a note below if you have any information or click to leave a comment.

[contact-form]

Updates from the Officers:

theneiya — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:08:30 +0000

Yesterday, Black ice was mailed to all current members of NEIYA. Ed did a great job of editing the newsletter, and the printing, binding and mailing were done where I work at Marketing Solutions.

This was a weird year for iceboating, both in the USA and in Europe. The weather was considerably warmer then in years past and I don’t think there was any safe iceboating in CT,RI or MA.

On the racing front, we successfully held the Doc Fellows and New England’s, as well as the Eastern’s. Thanks to Jim “T” Theiler and Eben Whitcomb for that. Unfortunately we did not get an official cruising event completed You can thank mother nature for that one.

We completed the NEIYA Banners, they will be on display at the next Meeting. Thank Peter B for spearheading that one.

There are Burgees for sale, See Eben Whitcomb if you want one. You can find his contact info in this months Black Ice.

We have also written a new NEIYA iceboating handout. There will be copies available at the fall meeting to hand out to people that are interested in iceboating. Ed A did the layout for this.

As many of you know, at the last NEIYA meeting, We formed a committee to review the NEIYA bylaws. This was done because we have not updated the bylaws since they were originally written in the 1970’s, and we are having a hard time conducting business in strict accordance with the bylaw changes. The committee is actively reviewing them and suggesting changes. The next step is for the NEIYA governing committee to review these changes and offer suggestions. It is anticipated that revised bylaws will be brought to a vote at the next meeting in the fall of 2012

In addition to the bylaw review, The treasurer has filed the paperwork for federal 403B nonprofit status which we really need for legitimate tax purposes. This should be in place by the fall meeting.

We have also changed the location of the annual fall meeting. The previous location has proved to be too costly and would have required us to raise the cost of the event again, which the officers did not feel was appropriate in these difficult times. There will be more info coming on the location change this summer.

Sail Fast,

Eric Anderson

Commodore NEIYA

That’s all folks… and NEIYA Calendar for rest of year

theneiya — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:46:59 +0000

Greetings all,

The proverbial fat lady has sung her song and we all know that that means a long season of warm, very wet and very soft water. Last known sailing was last week on Sunapee in NH and Damariscotta Lake in Jefferson, ME where the Maine DN State Championship was successfully held as well as some fine spring sailing.

To help through the warmer months I ordered Bill Converse’s NEIYA calender. It just arrived and wanted to tell everyone that it is once again a home run!

It runs from February 2012 thru January 2013 and is 17 inches by 11 inches. Tons of great photos taken mostly last season in and around New England as well as a few from last years World Champs in Illinois.

Cost is $25 with a portion going to the NEIYA.

Click for larger image view:

To order call Bill at 508-273-3224 or fill in info below and he will get back to you. Do it today! [contact-form]

Think Ice!

James “T” Thieler

An Ice Mia Copa

theneiya — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 02:34:08 +0000

Mia Copa Mia Copa Mia Copa

Yours truly pulled played the funeral march too soon. My disappointment with the season got the better of me.

Good sailing continues on both ends of Lake Sunapee in NH as well as the previously reported Damariscotta Lake in Maine. Call the hotline (508) 481-1011 and get on the road.

Keep thinking ice and keep the fat lady at bay. There is more sailing somewhere.

John
DN5023
Sorry Web Guy

P.S. I’m on the road to Main in six hours.

And than there was Maine…

theneiya — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 04:08:46 +0000

It’s been a challenging season. Many of us have had the least ice days ever. There was no sailing that I know of in Connecticut and Rhode Island. I waited on Bantam, my home ice, to come through but despite no snow there was only enough cold for the scattered ice fisherman. No sailing this year. Plenty of clean ice was to be had on Sunapee and Lake Champlain’s Mallets Bay.

I will hold off on the season recap till it is finally done, done and done as it is not…

For those who have not been following the goings on in Maine, I suggest you check in on the fine reporting from the Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club. Where else would you learn that high heels make excellent ice creeping shoes?

In coastal Maine the snow came, the snow went and left some fine sailing this past week. Which brings us this weekend. Damariscotta Lake is open for sailing! Open for cruisers as well as the Maine State DN championship. Expect spring ice conditions so get set up and sail early.

Let the chips fly…

John
DN5023
Ice Web Guy

P.S. Be sure to check the NEIYA hotline (508) 481-1011, http://iceboat.me and http://neiya.org and even Facebook and Twitter #neiyaweb for weekend updates and details.

Headin’ Home… Pt #2

regattachair — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:41:02 +0000

….Where was I? Oh yeah. so we are tired, sore, more or less broke, and way behind on every to-do list we have. Balance that against the mental snapshots of flying arounf the top mark neck-and-neck with some of the top DN sailors in the world, breeze cranking, boatspeed around 60+mph or more, rigs bent so far they are almost horizontal at the base…. ripping upwind at 50+ with the boat glued down on the ice and hauling ass…. blazing downwind fully wicked-up, on the edge of a major spinout while going so fast the passing scenery looks like stop-action photography… looking ahead to see the two lead boats fly around the leeward mark side-by side in the setting sun….

Hell yes, it’s worth it.

Team RI out.

Headin’ Home…. Pt 1

regattachair — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:31:33 +0000

Award ceremony yesterday afternoon at regatta HQ. Well done, all trophies handed out and as a bonus two pretty sweet items were raffled off; a North F-01 sail and a Composite Concepts front runner. The drawing was certainly fixed as the runner was won by Hal Bowman’s wife (who doesn’t sail or even own a boat) and Deb Whitehorse won the sail (I don’t think she owns a DN either). Obviously somebody rigged it but until we have proof we’ll let the so-called winners keep the booty. Hal has already started calculating how many nice dinners it’ll take until he gets his paws on his wife’s sweet new runner….

Good times indeed. Dinner for a group of about 20 at the Republic Steakhouse and back to the hotel where, in a surprising development, a bunch of sailors (who may or may not have been from Toledo) were holding court at the bar. I’ll spare ya’ll the gory details but pranks were pranked, jokes were joked, stories were told, chops were busted, and a great time was had by all.

Bedtime was late and wake-up call was earlyyyy… hit the highway at 4AM with a full tank of gas, snow and sleet coming down, a vicious crosswind, and Chad’s nearly lifeless body in the passenger seat. Tied up in traffic near Chicago for awhile but clicking off the miles ever since.

DN NA Update Day 2- That’s a Wrap

regattachair — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:30:32 +0000

So we hit the ice today- wind had shifted about 180 degrees and faded right out- the crazy survival conditions of yesterday were gone; sailing well today was gonna be about finesse.

I was nervous as there was a big gap between me and the top three sailors but a bunch of people were within a few points behind me; hard to gain a spot overall but easy to lose one or more. What the hell, go out and race and see what happens.

Used pretty much the same setup as yesterday in the breeze but with thin insert runners and a North ABSS (medium flat) sail. Got munched off the line by Matt Struble (this guy could outsprint Carl Lewis) but tacked away and sailed to the right in clear breeze. A puff and a left shift saw me looking good on the right and I rounded the top mark in about 5th or 6th.

Picked off a boat or two as the race went on and the breeze faded. Actually managed to pass Matt on a downwind leg (If you’ve ever seen him sail downwind you’d be impressed by this feat! To be fair he got stuck in a hole but still…) and by the finish had weaseled my way into third. And the race was black-flagged because the lead boat hadn’t made the time limit. DANG! Ah well, it was one of the better light air races of my DN career so I’ll take it even if it doesn’t count.

So another wait while the breeze faded to nothing and the snow started. Used the time to shoot the breeze with Jan Gougon- he’s been racing DN’s for a long time and is a wealth of information and knowledge- chatting with him is always educational and entertaining!

While we all wondered what the weather was going to do Mother Nature threw a new one at us: A crack appeared in the ice up near the top mark. It was growing wider and since there was open water on the downwind side of the course the call was made to get the hell in before the whole plate- with us on it- drifted out into Green Bay.

And the regatta is a wrap- with snow on the way and the plate kinda sketchy this one is in the books- yesterday’s results stand. Time to party like rock stars and head home tomorrow.

Cheers! T

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

401-258-6230
t_thieler@yahoo.com

DN NA Update

regattachair — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:51:44 +0000

If you’ve been following these reports you know it was honkin’ this AM. The comittee did a great job of delaying until the breeze faded out just enough to race this afternoon- All of the sudden it went from hurry-up-and-wait to GET ON THE LINE!! Three Gold and three silver races before the sun got low…. Not bad! Committee did a great job banging them out.

Wild and woolly!! Fast ice and plenty of breeze saw fast boat speeds and a few spinouts and a few broken rigs- And a lot of grins and whootin’ and hollerin’! It was a day for your flattest sail and your heaviest runners… For the North Sail gang that means the MS-1 and 1/4″ inserts.

New England is being represented well- Eben Whitcomb and Oliver Moore sailed their way into the Gold Fleet. Eben insists that we treat him better now but the hazing has yet to begin. As for Oliver we treat him like dirt all the time so no change there.

Chad has had some good races, including a 5th in the last one that has him all fired up. He has definitely found a setup that is working for him- Yours truly has an 8, 6, 4. And I’m psyched about it! I think Ron Sherry is in the lead and Matt Struble and John Dennis are hot on his heels.

Today was the kind of sailing day that keeps you coming back for more of this nutty-ness. Amazing. If you’re home reading this you’re missing a good one!

Will see what happens tomorrow, snow in the forecast but with three races done this regatta is in the books. Time to stone runners and get cleaned up- Stay tuned…

PS Sorry the pics aren’t better- I shot them with my phone.

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

401-258-6230
t_thieler@yahoo.com

Postponed ‘Til Two

regattachair — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:10:29 +0000

Still blowin’ snakes out of the grass here…. Postponed ’til 2PM but the breeze seems to be fading a little….