Don Dallar’s Detroit – Historical Scrapbooks

by | Oct 31, 2023 | 2023-2024, Home Page, WSSA

Joe Lodge and DEUCE from Wayne State University Digital Collection https://digital.library.wayne.edu/search?q=joe+lodge Interesting to note that Joe Lodge was a cousin of Charles Lindbergh.

Some iceboat history in the form of copied and bound scrapbooks arrived on my doorstep recently. Michigan’s Don Daller filled his scrapbooks with the early history of the DN class and the Detroit iceboat scene. Dallar was part of the original crew that built the first DNs in Detroit News workshops. What makes these scrapbooks a valuable resource to those of us who enjoy researching the history of iceboating is that the archives of the Detroit newspapers have yet to make their archives easily accessible. Dallar’s collection fills a considerable gap in iceboat history not only because of the newspaper clippings but also because of his hand-written editorial comments and corrections in the margins.

An article that immediately interested me discussed Joe Lodge’s contributions to the Stern-Steerer DEUCE (there were at least three DEUCEs and I’m not sure which one the article is referring to.) Another article provided a clearer picture of Claire Jacob’s DEUCE and the BULL’s whereabouts after they departed from Detroit in 1961. Today, Rick Hennig of Racine, WI, owns DEUCE, and the BULL is in Lake Geneva.

According to the article, Joe Lodge designed a spar similar to a wing mast, was the first to use a windlass on an iceboat, and designed three pairs of runners for specific ice conditions. He was also an early embracer of performance measurement, mounting three stopwatches on the DEUCE II to keep track of elapsed times, time against rivals, and time on the weather leg.

Tip of the Helmet for sending the scrapbooks: Robert Cummins US3433

Learn More
FERDINAND THE BULL Archives
DEUCE Archives

 

 

The Mead Glider Company

by | May 11, 2023 | 2022-2023, Home Page, ISA


This week, I received a package filled with iceboating memorabilia, which included what seemed to be magazine advertising proofs for Mead iceboats of Chicago, Illinois.

Since the beginning of this website in 1998, the Buy & Sell page has been filled with vintage Mead iceboats for sale, all of which came out of Ted Mead’s Chicago factory.

Who was Ted Mead? According to a 1937 newspaper article, his father owned bicycle factories in Chicago and England. His mother was noted for her exceptional woodworking skills. After graduating from Princeton in 1925, he built houses for a few years; he eventually grew tired of this profession and founded the Mead Glider Company. When the airplane business became unprofitable, Mead moved on to building kayaks, ice motor sleds, and iceboats, and the factory employed 24 people.

Below are links to some of the Mead iceboat memorabilia that’s come my way in the last 20+ years.

Learn More:
Ted Mead Biography Newspaper Article
Announcing Mead’s New Class E Skeeter Racer
Mead Batwing Iceboat Brochure
Mead Iceboat Brochure 3
Mead Iceboat Brochure 5
Mead Archives
Early ISA Video

 

Vintage Film: 1952 Northwest on Lake Monona

by | May 2, 2023 | 2022-2023, Home Page, NIYA


Big Tip of the Helmet to Henry Bossett for finding this historic footage of the 1952 Northwest regatta on Lake Monona. If you recognize some of these boats, drop a line to me and I’ll add to the post.  Video link

Jan 16 1952 Cap Times
Mary B 1952
The MARY B
Jan 16 1952 Wsj

From Skeeter Iceboat to Sunfish Dinghy

by | May 1, 2023 | 2022-2023, Home Page

Tip of the Helmet: Dan Heaney

The Sunfish dinghy is one of the most recognized and popular soft-water boats ever manufactured, with over 300,000 built. What does this have to do with iceboating? The Alcort company of Connecticut that developed the Sunfish started as an iceboat manufacturer. Dan Heaney, long time DN regatta PRO from Neenah, WI, sent this advertisement and some information about the Alcort Skeeter he has restored. Hopefully, we’ll see some photos of Dan’s restored Skeeter in the future.

Via Dan Heaney: The attached document advertises an Alcott Skeeter. I have one of the iceboats with an original Alcort decal. The boat is basically the same as produced by Alcort. However, the mast was replaced by the previous owner, and I added a springboard and some hull re-enforcing as well as a new runner plank.. The sail is 75 sqft, and it is a true double-seater. My current project is to complete the installation of foot steering.

There seems to be little information regarding the boat and Alcort’s venture into iceboating.

Sunfish

19th Century Bow-Steering Ice Yachts

by | Apr 29, 2023 | 2022-2023, Home Page


The concept of bow-steering iceboats is much older than I had imagined, which makes sense because iceboaters have a long tradition of trying different technologies

“Can you imagine sailing on a pond and not a drop of water to be seen?”

Henry Bossett discovered an 1897 illustration and an 1850 Boston newspaper article while gathering material for our online Cape Cod Maritime Museum presentation, proving that sailors were familiar with front-runner steering in the 19th century. (Museum presentation, Sunday, April 30, 1:30 CT / 2:30 ET. Register here.)

The big boat in the illustration filled with passengers reminds me of the BERZERKER (a stern-steerer) last seen on Maumee Bay in Toledo. The BERZERKER was Frankenstiened together by the Toledo Ice Yacht Club as a one-weekend party boat. BERZERKER gave many people their first iceboat ride on Lake Erie during that Winter Carnival weekend in 2007.