Seasons over 2025!

      Happy Vixen crew at days end, 3/3/25                                                  Betty Boomer photo

 Monday -Tuesday marked the last days of sailing the ice here in the Hudson Valley.  A dozen folks enjoyed a last few sails on Vixen on Copake Lake Monday. The one local resident (who recently moved to the neighborhood) who stopped by got his first ride.  And a friend of a club member had his first time on the tiller for a few tacks. A lovely NW breeze propelled the 1885 Vixen for a last few runs.  She's been sailing for 140 years! The Merritt brothers, John A. Roosevelt & Ray Ruge are all smiling at her longevity!   

       Puff, Boreas, Lady  on a breezy Sunday, Orange Lake. 3/2/25              photo courtesy of Emilie Hauser

Meanwhile sailing also continued on Orange Lake. A contingent of Arrows, along with Boreas, Puff & Lady  sailed on Sunday & Monday.  Puff closed out the season with a last few runs on Tuesday before rapidly softening ice sent her home. 

 There was also the unveiling of a new boat to the Club, as ice yacht Puck was rigged up.  A nice story: At the 2023 Ice boat display at the FDR Welcome Center, Captain Steve Schwartz got talking to a visitor at the exhibit who noted they had an old stern steerer in their barn. After more talk the individual donated the boat to the Club and Steve gathered up some sailing buddies to caretake the boat. Jake & Andy from the Puck team worked with Steve to get her set up. The small (and old) sail wasn't quite enough to push her through the sticky surface, but the chance to get her on the ice was a joy. She'll have runners sharpened and a new jib ready for next season.  

                            New to the Club - Ice Yacht Puck;    First time on ice with 2 of her new caretakers Andy & Jake .  Great to see new members with their boat.  Vintage???  hmm..  1930s-40s?  what do you think? 

Boats are now off the Lake, though a few Arrows remain on shore. The ice is deteriorating and more openings are appearing.   

              Past Commodore Chris brought his grill for the traditional hot dog lunch on the ice at Copake. Thanks Chris!

                          Last sail, 3:57 pm Monday. Vixen glides in to the launch area to drop sails for the season.

Thankful for the many chances to get some sailing in this winter. See you next season!

Seasons winding down!

 Sunday sailing at Copake.  Might have 2 more days before we dismantle. Reid at helm of Vixen with Bard student Liam on his first ice boat ride!

Copake Lake February 22 & 23

                                                                      Ice Conditions------>  

Nice to see our friend and director of the Hudson River Maritime Museum, Lisa Cline, stop by Copake Lake Sunday. Lisa caught her first ride on Vixen, here with owner, skipper Reid Beilenberg.  Lisa's grandfather Joe Jova acquired Vixen sometime around 1920.  According to Capt. Frank Drake her grandfather was encouraged (by Moses Collyer) to buy Vixen to challenge the New Hamburgh Club for the Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant of America.   Vixen did race in that last race of the old stern steerers for the Challenge Pennant, with Vixen builder Charlie Merritt at the helm.  Charlie & his brother William built Vixen (originally named Eugene) in 1885.  Frank Drake won that race, sailing Scout.  Joe Jova owned and sailed Vixen for many years. He, as well as his father Juan, were long time members of the Orange Lake Ice Yacht Club.  Lisa recalled her mother sailing on Vixen in her youth. Ray Ruge acquired Vixen and sailed her on Orange Lake for many years. Reid acquired Vixen in the early 80s from Ray. Lisa had a great sail & was thrilled to see that the old yacht is still sailing today, being in very good hands.

     Chickadee, under the steady hand of William.

A memorable race on Tivoli Bay -Happy Groundhogs Day!

                                            Ice Conditions 

It's Ground Hogs Day! Of course, always ready for many more weeks of winter & ice in my hopes... 

  In honor of that large nuisance it's a good time to dig into the White Wings archives to revisit a memorable race eleven years ago (January 30, 2014) on Tivoli Bay, involving not a groundhog but a close relative.  I almost forgot about this... 

 Racing on Tivoli Bay 2014

Runaway Ice Yacht... then and now....

 

 from John A Roosevelt's Ice Yacht scrapbook; Courtesy of the FDR Library and Museum, Hyde Park 

We had a little excitement at Orange Lake today , which led me digging back into the archives of Ice boating on the River.   This goes back to 1886 and involves Archie Rogers and his prize yacht Jack Frost.

 from John A Roosevelt's Ice Yacht scrapbook; Courtesy of the FDR Library and Museum, Hyde Park  

During a pause in the racing, the group of ice yachts pulled up at the North end of Orange Lake, to assist in righting Rainbow II, which had flipped onto its side. All the big A boats were hiking steadily in the strong NW wind. Even with sheets loose and tiller at a 90 degree position , a puff of wind propelled the Red Bank yacht Ruth away andheaded her to the south side of the lake.  Just what Archie Rogers encountered in 1886?  

Several of us noticed a lone gaff rigger heading towards us, thinking one of the skippers was heading back to get help or assistance for Rainbow.  What a shock to see no one at the helm. The boat was headed directly at the "pits" filled with boats not sailing or being rigged.  Just before the pressure ridge outside this space, she veered east and took off, eventually veering back and running full tilt into a stone bulkhead off the neighbors house.  Starboard runner, and chock and the boom took the brunt of the hit, and will need replacing.  Fortunately no one was hurt.  I'm sure Ruth will be made right quickly and we'll see her on the ice next winter.  We think they can come up with the 100 dollars to repair....

Archie Rogers has had his share of excitement at the helm of an ice Yacht: (in February 1903 he was skippering Ariel with his wife aboard)

And, not the first time winds have had their way with Orange Lake ice yachts.... 

     photo courtesy Dave Disbrow                                         2022

Last Day at Athens Jan 30 2025

                                                        Ice Conditions

 Whiff was dismantled and packed up this afternoon.  We had a few hours of sailing today off the boat launch. Ice measured 4-5 inches. With Fridays rain it was decided to be prudent and clear out.  We'll have to see the impact of the rain to see where the next best ice may be. Time to check out Berkshire Bowl and/or Copake Lake. Conditions continue to be monitored at Orange Lake as well.

  Last sail for Whiff in Athens, on a southwest breeze, or wait make that Northwest; uh now it's out of the north, and yet now from the west..... 

I've been getting a lot of great photos of sailing at Athens this week.  Still going through many of them.  Two Athens area photographers have been capturing the action over a number of years. 

Check out  a few of their pictures, follow the links below. Much better captures than  I'll ever get on my phone.  Enjoy & thanks to Robert & Jonathan.  

Robert Near Athens Pictures                     Jonathan Palmer Athens Ice 

 

Sometimes after a long day of moving ice boats and rigging them, you just need a game of Cats Cradle.... 

     Jonathan Palmer photo 

Meanwhile Brett has been testing the ice at Orange Lake several days this week in Genevieve.  High winds and a large sail area pushed through the snow cover.

Genevieve  circa 1910 was built in the Bronx for the Wrigley (baseball) family. It sailed out in the mid-west until about 20 years ago when Brett brought it back east. It was built to a design drawn up by H. Percy Ashley, who designed and built boats on Orange Lake in the 1890s and early 1900s.  Many Ashley designs were published in Rudder magazine at the turn of the century. 

photos courtesy of Maggie McNamara

Athens-on-Hudson January 25 - 27 2025

                                                                                Ice Conditions

Monday 1-27-25

Boats are off of the River. Sailing over for now!  Skippers decided to play it safe and remove our boats from the creek today, due to the not so favorable weather forecast over the next 5 days.

Todays very brisk winds kept most boats in the Creek, though Captain Steve, Captain Frank, and Captain Sam (all actual river captains)  gave rides to a few spectators and fellow club members.  As the winds continued to gust the 3 boats dropped sails, leaving a few DNs and skimmers to sail the ice for a bit more. 

Done for the time being. 

     Captain Frank pilots Aurora, reefed and no jib. 

                         Captain Steve took over the helm of Whirlwind, 

                     whose modified skeeter sail was a good  choice for the conditions.

       Captain Sam took the Germantown Greyhound crew across the ice, challenging the tanker to a race.

         It appears to be a Cosco  bulk carrier- delivering salt mined in South America. ( as per retired River pilot Frank - from his experiencing on the River)

Sunday 1-26-25

A fabulous day at Athens on Sunday.  The brisk winds moderated and over time reefed boats shook out and there was a plate full of dancing stern steerers. Many rides for friends and first timers. Skaters, dogs, and curious onlookers made navigating  a bit tricky at times  but there was room for all.  Winds were light then gusty and we went from a slow crawl to a  screaming run.  Boats sailed non stop from 10 am till dark.  

   

      Floater, a DN, Galatea

                         Captain Kate at the helm of Floater.
   

        William in his foldable stern steerer.  youngest skipper in the HRIYC! 

       Hound,  heads upwind as the sun starts to set...

Saturday 1-25-25

                   Galatea,  Whiff, Aurora  1/25/25 

 Members & ice yachts from the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club are sailing on the ice at Athens on the west side of Middle Ground Flats. Beautiful hard black ice from the Murderers Creek boat launch to the village of Athens park. No boat sailed all that far south of the Creek on this first day on the Hudson.  There was a large crowd of onlookers and for the more adventuresome, a ride from one of the ice yacht skippers.  

If you do come down to see the boats, do so with caution. The ice is always unpredictable. It is easy to slip & fall. Stay clear of the areas & routes the iceboats are coming and going through.  

On the ice so far:

Whiff - The historic Centennial Yacht.  Read about Whiff's history HERE. 

Galatea - from the Clarkson Estate in Tivoli  circa 1888. 

Orion  circa 1906  Originally from the brickyard at Malden on Hudson 

Mary Ellen- Circa 1870

Greyhound - circa 1900 HydePark boat 

Hound - Circa 1906  Hyde Park boat 

Aurora 

Whirlwind II 

Floater- Saugerties boat  so named as that's what happened when previous owners sailed her into the River