Dutchess County Fair August 2024

 We had a great week displaying a few boats at our local county fair in Rhinebeck.   We had hundreds of fair-goers stop by to share stories or to discover these boats for the first time.  It was a chance to talk about the Hudson River Ice Yacht Preservation Trust, the 501C3 recently established, and goals to eventually have a space to store, work on, and display the old ice yachts. More on HRIYPT here.       Looking at old club minutes it appears the last time we displayed a boat at the DC Fair was 1974 with the Jack Frost. 

a few photos, and some of the info we shared at our display:

Orion is a beautiful example of the antique, stern-steering, gaff-rigged ice yachts that raced up and down the Hudson in the mid- to late-nineteenth century. Orion’s early sailing took place off Malden-On-Hudson, in Ulster County.  She was built around 1906, by the owners of the Malden Brick Yards. She was sold to the McInerny family on Long Island, and was transported by barge, down the Hudson, eventually arriving at its new home on Lake Ronkonkoma, on Long Island. Commodore Robert Wills of the HRIYC acquired her in 2004 and brought the ice yacht back to the Hudson River, where she now sails, as conditions allow.   Length: 25’ 8”        Plank width: 13’ 3”       Sail Area:  175 sq ft

DN ice boat Length: 12 ‘       plank width: 8’      sail area: 60 sq ft.  

HRIYC member Andy Hudson’s DN  was built at Weeks Boat Yard on Long Island in 1993.

The DN is the largest iceboat class in the world. It was the winner of a contest sponsored by the Detroit News in 1937, to design a car-toppable, inexpensive ice boat.  Since then tens of thousands DNs have been built in basements and garages by DN sailors around the world. It is a one-design class iceboat that carries one sailor, and steered with a bow-runner.  International competitions take place each year in the US or in Europe. Dn speeds can  get up to 60 mph.

Mead Tandem Skeeter   Zip  Length: 22’ Plank: 15’-2.25” Sail area: 75 sq ft

Zip is a somewhat rare Mead Tandem skeeter. It was built by The Mead Glider Co. of Chicago, likely in the early 1940s. The Skeeter class has a 75 sq ft sail area requirement, with other aspects of construction up to the builder. Zip sailed for many years on Greenwood Lake, on the NY/NJ border. It was donated to the HRIYC by Rusty Welchman & restored by Robert Wills.

Rigging Orion prior to opening day. 

Last Day at Stockbridge

 Sunday at Stockbridge Bowl.  Light winds and softening ice led to most sailors to disassemble and head home. A few DNs and Puff had some brief sailing on fickle and unpredictable breezes.  I had a 60 second tack across the ice and then mostly pushed back.   It was a wonderful weekend with upwards of 24 boats on the ice: Old stern steerers, DNs, a nite, several Arrows, a small skeeter, skate sails.  

A lot of area folks came down to see the spectacle. This appears to be the first time there has been a crowd of iceboats on this ice.  HRIYC sailor Frank Wall has sailed the Bowl on and off over the last 5 years & was so pleased to see the number of boats on the ice. Looking forward to next season. 

  

Above 3 photos courtesy Jonathan Palmer

3 B&W photos courtesy of RM Hungate

Saturday in Stockbridge; amazing sailing!

 

Inaugural Friendship Pennant Race, Stockbridge Bowl, 2/24/24.  Mostly D class stern steerers ( ~200 sq ft sail) 7 boats lined up. 2 from HRIYC, 5 from NSIBYC.  Steve Foster takes the 3 lap race in his speedy D boat "Nifty"

This week at Stockbridge Bowl

 

Sailing Stockbridge Bowl 2/18/24 - 2/19

February 19 

I've mentioned the newest boat in the Club, young William's "foldable stern steerer". if you were wondering what that is about, here we have it as we packed it up today....

 Plank & folded frame. 

That's the "backbone" (frame?)- tongue & groove boards fill in the cockpit. All fits on the roof racks of a standard small car. 

Here's how it looks under sail. 

 Stockbridge Bowl Feb 18, 2024. 

Brian's Maine boat - a solid stern steerer 1920s?;  Emilie & Hal's Puff, circa 1870;   several Arrows and Dns;  William's Small stern Steerer.  Great day, Great wind, a small crowd checking out sailing craft on this lake - fascinated & many first time rides. 

Rigging  ice yacht Puff -  Hudson River Ice Yacht. Built circa 1870, New Hamburgh, NY by Irving Grinnell.  Grinnell founded the New Hamburgh Ice Yacht Club in 1869.  He also created the Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant of America. 

Reid & Ricky sail off on Puff. 

More sailing on Monday...

Sailing Stockbridge Bowl February 17

 A beautiful small lake in the Berkshires.  Stockbridge Bowl, just north of Stockbridge was the only good ice within a relatively short drive from the mid Hudson Region. 

A few boats sailed this weekend. Frank Wall had his Arrow. William debuted his small foldable stern Steerer. This came from the Rusty Welchman collection that Bob Wills acquired several years back. It seeemed to sail around Greenwood Lake in the 1940s, I believe. William's friend Linden set up a DN. 

Emilie & Hal are planning on bringing Puff up today. 

First sail on the foldable.  A friend of Frank's welded a tiller post and steering chock.

An inch or so fell overnight Friday to Saturday. Brisk winds kept the boats moving.  We shared the ice with skaters & several groups of ice fishing folk. 

Valentines Day... Sailing up north this weekend??

 

It looks like the best chance for ice sailing will again be north  at Sacandaga Lake.  The ice will build more with 2-3 more nights of cold. There may be boats heading there from both Red Bank NJ and the HRIYC.  Launch site still being determined. It won't be at Lanzi's restaurant.  Thursday's snow may put a big damper, depending on how much they get there.  We'll know more Friday morning. 

Here's a look at the brief visit last winter, almost to the day!  Sacandaga Ice

10 years ago last great gathering....

February - March 2014 

Astor Point, Barrytown 2014

 

All Hands on deck!

 That's one way to adjust the peak block after you've already stepped the mast.....            (Orange Lake 2015?)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            photo courtesy John Sperr 

Friday Jan 19  No sailing yet. See conditions link, upper right of this page. 

New Year, waiting for the ice

 January 17 - No ice yet;  stay tuned.  

February 2017 end of season;  as currently, more open water than ice....

Note - Ice Conditions has its own link - top of the right column on this page (you'll need to view 'web version' on your phone...) click on the photo with the German Shepard! 

a look at river freeze dates from way back.... imagine the river locked up for 100 days.... 

Clippings from John A Roosevelt's archives at the FDR Library

Ice sailing memories.... Guest articles from past commodores...

 Past HRIYC commodore (2013-2014) Chris Kendall, recounts his first sails on a Hudson River ice yacht. This originally appeared in Bard College's magazine Annandale, in 1993.   Chris' yacht "999" is currently on display at the  Henry A. Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Home in Hyde Park NY.

The 999 was owned by George Bodenstein, the last of the family to own and operate the Staatsburgh  Ice Tool Company, in Staatsburgh, NY, the small hamlet just north of Hyde Park.  It was was named for the famous locomotive, the "999", of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, that was clocked at a speed of 112 miles per hour in 1893. 

It is likely that she was built shortly after  1893. It is built along the style of the siderail design and uses iron rods for its rigging.    999 is maintained and sailed by former commodore, Chris Kendall, Rhinebeck.

Length: 26' 10"      Plank:  13'      Sail Area: 230 sq ft.    Year:  circa 1895

 

Blast from the past.  Fact checkers in the HRIYC went back to the archives to be sure this wasn't a piece of fiction.  Since Chris mentioned it, we found evidence of "the Wreck of the 999".   

 Chris readies 999 for a sail in brisk winds; winter 1992, Tivoli South Bay. 

Pesky cracks along the outflow of the Sawkill? 

 

Cushions, sails, safe, passengers dry!

AND,  30 years ago, another past commodore, Bob Wills, reflects on a memorable long distance sail from Rhinecliff to Germantown.   Read Bob's story here     (spoiler alert: he doesn't end up in the river...)