Hudson River Stern Steerers Come Out to Play
VIXEN, Photo via White Wings and Black Ice. Photo Credit: Robert Near
It’s always a big occasion when America’s founding iceboats, the classic Hudson River stern-steerers, are able to get on the ice. Stay tuned to Brian Reed’s “White Wings and Black Ice” in the coming days keep up to date on the Hudson River iceboating scene.
The extended cold in 2022 has brought us good ice in several locations in the Hudson Valley. On Saturday Vixen was assembled at the NYS boat launch at Murderers Creek, in Athens, NY, and by Sunday afternoon there were 5 vintage stern steerers and an Arrow. Continue reading.
WSSA Postponed
Photo: Gretchen Dorian
Via WSSA Secretary Andy Gratton: The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to February 5 and 6. The next update will be Sunday, January 30. Check back here at that time. The Northwest Ice Yacht Association regatta takes precedence.
Is this too rough? Green Bay
Regatta Watch: 2022 WSSA Postponed
Via Wisconsin Stern Steerers Association Secretary Andy Gratton
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to January 29 and 30. The next update will be Sunday, January 23. Check back here at that time. The Northwest Ice Yacht Association regatta takes precedence.
Winnebago has over 12″ of older ice, 10″ on newer, but too much snow and rough seams on the black ice. Mendota doesn’t have the 12″ thickness and is not likely to grow enough by the weekend.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer
Regatta Watch: WSSA Postponed
Advertising image via Henry Bossett.
Via Wisconsin Stern Steerers Association Secretary/ Treasurer Andy Gratton
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to January 22 and 23. The next update will be Sunday, January 16. Check back here at that time. The Northwest Ice Yacht Association regatta takes precedence.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer
Bobcat On Ice
A short video via Andy Gratton. Minnesota ice sailor Kurt Martinson’s pandemic project was to convert a Bolger Bobcat (an adaptation of the Beetle Cat.)
Via Kurt Martinson: Hoping for enough wind to power thru some snow cover tomorrow. It’s a Bolger Bobcat I converted. 12’x 6’ plus the bowsprit. A pandemic project. Still working on getting the sail plan balanced. Think ice.
Regatta Watch: WSSA Postponed
MICHIGANDER
Via Wisconsin Stern Steerers Association Secretary Andy Gratton:
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to January 15 and 16. The next update will be Sunday, January 9. Check back here at that time. The Northwest Ice Yacht Association regatta takes precedence.
Some places on Winnebago have 4 to 6 inches with 1/2″ of snow. Sailing has occurred there.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer
Iceboating in the Olympics
John Buckstaff Archives
Ic
e sailing as an Olympic event has been a hot topic in the DN class for years. (See Runner Tracks, September 2017 for that story.) Iceboat sail maker and historian, Henry Bossett, has come across an extraordinary 1933 Oshkosh, WI newspaper article about John Buckstaff receiving an invitation from the German Yachting Union to compete at the 1936 Olympics. I can find no mention in further news reports as to what transpired. For now, here’s the article that ran in the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern. Click on the newspaper column image to enlarge it.
Tip of the Helmet: Henry!
Wisconsin Stern Steerers Association 2022 Newsletter
The big boats are Thinking Ice. Via WSSA Secretary Andy Gratton, here’s the 2022 newsletter.
Menominee Ice Sailing Photos
3 Class A Skeeters and the historic Stern-Steerer ROSEMARY on Lake Michigan at Menominee, MI.
In case you missed it, Gretchen Dorian has uploaded all of her spectacular Stern Steerer WSSA and Class A Skeeter photos from the Menominee ice sailing rendezvous weekend of March 6-7. Have a look!
Stern-Steerers
Skeeters
Spring Project: MI Stern-Steerer Down From the Rafters
GULL, down from the rafters.
Members of Michigan’s Gull Lake Ice Yacht Club recently gathered to assess a vintage Stern-Steerer iceboat’s condition. They hope to see her sail again and are taking it on as a club project.
She sailed many years and had been idle, we think, since the late ’90s. Our past Commodore Randy Johnson, may his memory be eternal, was the last caretaker of the Stern-Steerer. She did not possess a name. Our Gull Lake Ice Yacht Club named her upon receiving her as the next caretakers in her lineage. It seemed appropriate to name her GULL of Gull Lake. We look forward to letting her soar on home ice once again. We plan to clean and refinish both the hardware and the woodwork. All the parts are there and in solid shape. We will only swap out some steel turnbuckle adjusters that look to have gone beyond their lifetime for safety. I do not have a photo of her sail yet, which is inside our current Commodore’s home for safekeeping. I will post more photos when the weather allows us to unfurl the sail. She sailed, and we don’t know if she ever raced. Some incoming comments seem to say she shared ice in the Toledo area. We have a trailer project started. We plan to bring her to the ice wherever it may show….. maybe Fort Peck?
Peter Sarelis, Gull Lake Ice Yacht Club, Michigan
WISCONSIN ICE BOATING HOTLINE 608-204-9876
WSSA DUES
W.S.S.A. dues are $20.00 and can be mailed to Andy Gratton at the following address:
W.S.S.A.
c/o Andy Gratton, Secretary/Treasure
2102 Doty Street
Oshkosh, WI. 54902
***NOTICE*** Due to the high cost of “snail” mailing newsletters it is encouraged that you send in your $20 dues and an e-mail address. If not, your name MAY be removed from the mailing list. If you are no longer interested in receiving the newsletter please respond or email to Andy Gratton