1-31-10

Our day of sailing started again with single temps and non existent
wind. Combine that with rough unknown ice and you get a network of
less than enthused ice boaters calling to be either talked out of going or
talked into going. I had already talked myself into going long before the
calls started coming in. I was going to have fun on the ice today wind or
no wind, even if it meant spending the day on skates.
Mike and Robbie were already at Walker hitching up the trailer they had
dropped off yesterday afternoon. Mike was questioning the wind and his
mind was preoccupied with the construction of a shrimp net that he had
been working on at home. We shoveled some snow from the ramp and
looked over the possibilities of driving on the ice with trucks and
trailers. There was plenty of ice to support our vehicles but that pesky
run off brook had undercut the ice at the bottom of the ramp. This is
something that we deal with every year and many a truck has been
sucked into the brook. Having a moment of weakness I ditched my
coffee and drove truck and trailer straight down the steep ramp and onto
the ice. The smashing sound and sudden list of the truck were all telltale
signs that I had entered the brook. When I do stupid things like this I
always tell myself "If you don’t go too far you’ll never know what is far
enough". After some ripping and roaring I managed to get the rig up
over the shelf, out of the brook and onto the ice. So there I was safe and
sound on the ice with an open brook between my rig and the ramp. Not
wanting to postpone the agony till later I got up a lot of steam and tried
to jump the brook with trailer and boats in tow---- Stupid move number
2. I made it back to the ramp but did manage to poke a new hole in the
wing and make some kindling wood of my trailer framing. This day was
off to a great start but at least I had taken all of the wondering out of
the drive on the pond scenario.

With the help of Mike and Robbie I started rigging Iceaholic in light to
no wind. In a matter of minutes the gusts were coming in the 20 mph
range. Walker was reminding us that we were on home ice and she was
going to test us. As I predicted Vanessa came rolling in just as I had
finished rigging her boat. Vanessa had also been grappling for direction
this morning, the gusting winds and cold temps were overruling my pep
talk but a source from within was causing her to stay and sail.

Larry came stumbling down the ramp with Little Monsta under his arm.
He threw the parts and pieces on the ice and slipped her together.
Knowing that Mike needed some convincing to stay I jumped in Iceaholic
and tore out of the pits , came about and did a flyby where he couldn’t
help but notice the streams of snow flying up by the runners as I winged
the heavily packed snow mounds. One flyby led to another and well---
this bad day had just turned good!

Mark Kindsche and Mia came by on skates to say hello and reunite with
their lost flock. I hadn’t seen Mark since our last sailing day of the 09
season. Mark returned later in the afternoon to store his boat pond side
for the next day we sail. Kurt the sail maker also paid us a visit to ask
where we’d been this season and catch up on the ice gossip.

Bruce showed up with his DN, I rigged Yellow Fever, Vanessa put on a
more comfortable sized sail and we put some iron on Walker. Rattle,
bang, crash and smash with intermittent silence and the sensation of
pulling a parachute while hitting the hard packed snow drifts was the
sound and sensation of fun this first day on home ice. Bruce ventured to
the North end of Walker and came back with a report of better ice. After
3 miles of rattle, bang and crash there twinkling in the mid day sun was
a sheet of smooth black ice. It wasn’t very big but wow did it feel good!
The gusting wind fed the wing on Yellow Fever the nourishment it
needed to provide a most memorable ride. Bruce and I enjoyed this
special treat for quite some time when all of a sudden it felt like the
wing had been instantly removed from my boat by the hand of God. I sat
up in the cockpit and looked over at Bruce. He was stopped and looking
at me. Did somebody forget to put a quarter in the wind machine or
what I thought to myself? It was the most dramatic loss of wind I have
ever experienced. We converged and discussed the long 3 mile push
back to the South end of Walker but were interrupted by wind gusts that
were making our boats act like tied horses in a thunderstorm. Oh yes,
we were on home ice again and Walker is showing us who is in charge of
the fun factor.

Back on the South end Larry was fighting to keep Little Monsta in line.
It was like watching a thrill show to see Larry get hit by the powerful
gusts and be hurled into a power slide as the little angle slush runners
turned ice to smoke and howled sideways across the ice. Miss Vanessa
was busy fulfilling that emotion from within that told her to sail this day
that she didn’t really want to. I could tell by the composure of her sail
that she was becoming more comfortable in the gusts and at ease with
the conditions.
It was a great first day on home ice.