WSSA Secretary Andy Gratton recently explored the extensive history of iceboating preserved in the William Bernard scrapbooks at the Wisconsin Historical Society. These late 1800s and early 1900s scrapbooks provide insight into the world of ice sailing and are a go-to source for those interested in its history. Among the treasures that caught Andy’s eye was a photo featuring a Studebaker motor-propelled sleigh showcased at an exhibition around 1913. Even in the early days of ice sailing, William Bernard and other ice sailors were already on the lookout for race committee vehicles.
[UPDATE – edited to reflect it was Mike Kroll’s stern-steerer, not Mike Peters] I perused the scrapbooks with three young friends, time went quickly and we learned a bunch, but I still haven’t figured out for certain if Mike Kroll’s boat is the Princess 3 or not. I have been in communication with Peter Fauerbach about this, too. I will need to go back and study two books in more detail.
I did come across this very interesting photo in William Bernard’s “1913” scrapbook. It may be the first “Skeeter” on the ice. There was no article with the photo of the vehicle. It appears to be a Studebaker car with chains on the driving wheels and some sort of runners at the front and rear, possibly with wheels under the covers. I’m not sure whether the vehicle is one long frame or a trailer attached with more bench seats. It looks like the choice seats are at the very rear as that is where the extra windshield is positioned. I hope the heater works well.
Andy Gratton
Winnebago ice sailor Andy Gratton checks in while we wait for the ice to return.
Here are a couple shots of rough ice on Winnebago from last Monday, Jan 29. The ice is sailable with a small maneuverable boat if one follows the right path. The boat was sailed to that position.
Lake Winnebago ice sailor Andy Gratton checks in with his version of an iceboat board game:
I was doing some catching up tonight and saw the nice iceboat game from Michael Young. That reminded me of the game my two kids and I used to play way back when they were in grade school. I dug it out and included some pictures. We used markers and a spinner from another game. I would have made 3D-printed stern steerers for markers, but 3D printing was barely known. Everything on the game happened in the 1992 regatta at Oshkosh – Rosemary capsized, Todd Haines was thrown from Mary B, Country Woman broke the halyard, I think John Davis got stuck in a snowdrift, there was an ice shanty on the course, and more than one boat spun out. This isn’t nearly as fancy as the new game, but it’s fun for small kids. Print it off and play it if you want. Three laps!
Andy Gratton and Michael Kroll were the first in the Oshkosh area to iceboat this year off south shore, launching from the Fugleberg Park landing recently. Both live nearby in Oshkosh so when any equipment breaks or needs replacement, it is a quick trip home for the needed parts. Continue reading.
Iceboaters are problem solvers, and Andy Gratton is one of the best. Based upon his experience at Lake Christina near Ashby, MN, last season, Andy figured out a way to make it easier to ferry a Renegade up and down a steep bank. Having “lifted hulls up and down banks one too many times,” he built a helpful device that easily picks up a Renegade hull.
“The crane will easily pick a Renegade (or perhaps a C skeeter hull.) It has a pick point about 11 feet aft of the trailer axle. I think that will do for getting the hulls over the bank we were using last year. As you can see from the photos, the slings and spreader bar works well for a Renegade hull. Both slings are the same length.”
