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