Using Lake Baikal’s spring regatta and Minnesota’s Western Challenge as data points, this week marks iceboating’s mid-summer holiday. Ken Whitehorse and Paul Krueger celebrated by setting up Paul’s Class A Skeeter, RAMBL’N, on one of the hottest days of summer to see how the newly built boom looked. Jim Gluek stopped over to look over and talk Skeeter sails.
Yes, that’s a sail from the quiver of Bob Kau’s blue Skeeter now owned by Ken Whitehorse (and will soon carry PK’s number, 165).
Detail from “Great Lakes Freighter”, a painting by Harry Whitehorse.
The long distance summer sailing season is upon us and iceboaters are there. Let us know if you are sailing the Chicago to Mackinac race so you can be added to the list.
TRANSPAC July 10, 2019
4LIYC Commodore Don Anderson will be sailing his second Transpac from Los Angeles, CA to Hawaii on MR BILL. Race tracking.
CHICAGO YACHT CLUB RACE TO MACKINAC July 13, 2019 Race Tracking EQUATION: (Santa Cruz 70, Section: 01) Ron Sherry, Chris Clark, Tom Dawson, Dave Elsmo EXILE (J88, Section 08) Andy Camarda SHMOKIN JOE: (J111, Section: J111) Julie Jankowski Julie is arranging for a group photo of iceboaters immediately following the awards ceremony in front of the stage, probably around 2:30 Tuesday.
A painting from the imagination of Harry Whitehorse, a time when massive long distance iceboat freighters would rule the Great Lakes.
3 Nites and John Dennis’ (JD) A Class Skeeter on Lake Pepin at the 2019 ISA Photo: Jann Klin
JD & Tom Nichols in 2012
July 4th signals we’re climbing to the apex of the iceboating off-season (iceboat mid-summer is July 27, more on that later). It’s become an iceboat.org 4th of July tradition, ever since Tom Nichols built the boat, to post Class A Skeeter, EAGLE, in its red, white, and blue livery to commemorate the holiday. EAGLE was born in New Jersey, built and sailed by Tom Nichols. JD purchased the boat in July 2012 and brought her west. Below is a video of EAGLE’S first sail in Minnesota. Both Tom and JD have won the ISA regatta twice, Tom in 2005 and 2006 and JD in 2018 and 2019.
A vintage Skeeter iceboat built at Johnson Boat Works in 1945 before and after restoration.
If you are anywhere near White Bear Lake, MN on Saturday, June 22, you won’t want to miss the 14th Annual White Bear Lake Classic & Vintage Boat Show (10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m – Lake Ave. at White Bear Shopping Center) where a vintage Skeeter and Stern-Steerer will be exhibited.
In conjunction with the boat show, the White Bear Press has published an entertaining write up about the Skeeter restoration and a historic Stern-Steerer that will both be on display.
(We’re glad you didn’t burn the boat! – ed.)
Old ice boats: not for faint of heart By Debra Neutkens/Editor Jun 12, 2019
When he brought the project home, fellow ice boaters urged him to burn it. “I said, ‘no, we can’t really do that,'” Driscoll recalled. Then three people “put up their hands” and agreed to help in the restoration: John Taylor, Steve Wiberg and Steve Johnson. Steve is the grandson of Johnson Boat Works founder J.O. Johnson, a Norwegian immigrant who built his business on the shore of White Bear Lake. Continue reading.
UPDATE: Take a quick ride on Bald Eagle Lake in the PHANTOM Stern-Steerer. Tip of the Helmet: Pat Heppert
