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rookie

Submitted by Jenny1 on January 15, 2007 - 02:38.

Just brought home a DN. I got written instructions stating to start out with a "close reach" into the wind. What is that? I have never seen anyone on an iceboat before much less me.

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tips for newbie

Submitted by Adam-US5366 on January 16, 2007 - 11:29.

A "close reach" is a fairly basic term in sailing so I can only assume you are a soft-water rookie too. Not to be discouraged as iceboating is in some ways easier and certainly more fun. Some of my tips are a bit simple but valuable.

- set up, stop, and start directly into the wind.
- be sure to use the brake built into the front runner when not in the boat.
- keep your feet in the boat while underway. You run the risk of running over your ankle - much pain enuses.
- wear spikes on your feet.
- carry self-retrieval spikes.
- wear a helmet and goggles.
- never sail alone.
- look around at all times for hazards/others.

Sailing tips:
While sailing on the wind, start on a close reach 60 degrees off the wind) and point up. This is about 45 degrees to the wind. Overpowered? Ease the sail and or point up more.

While off the wind, if you get overpowered and lift a runner ("hike"), turn away from the wind. You can slow way down to a stop by going dead down wind.

On any point of sail you are almost always sailing upwind in a iceboat. The main sail is usually pulled in tight.

Stop the boat by turning dead upwind. You may have to ease the sail too. It takes as much as 100 meters to stop an iceboat so plan for that.

When at speed, make very small movements on the tiller. You can get thrown from the boat if you row it too much.

Best plan is to find some local ice boaters. They will be more than willing to help!

/Adam

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Rookie here also.....

Submitted by blackice on January 15, 2007 - 22:03.

Jenny1 -

I also am new to my DN, although I've sailed open-water
for years. Unlike an open water boat, an iceboat gains speed
much faster, meaning there are some things you need to be
aware of:

1. Never push or walk your iceboat while standing in front of
the runner plank - a sudden gust of wind may lurch the
boat ahead, taking your legs out from under you, and you
may find yourself watching it go away on its own.
2. You must ALWAYS park the boat directly into the wind. Keep
an eye on the wind, and if it switches, change the aim of the
boat.
3. If you get tired of holding the mainsheet (rope for the sail),
do NOT wrap it around your hand so as to rest your arms.
If you hike up, you will be unable to release the sheet when
you want. Better to rest awhile and try again.
4. And especially if you live in Minnesota, be wary of any area
there are or have been spear-fishermen. A 300 lb. chunk of
ice is more than a match for your boat. It shouldn't be
legal for these people to leave these hazards out there for us,
but it still is.

Otherwise, learn to sail & have a blast!

Blackice

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Blackice,Thanks for all the good advice.

Submitted by Jenny1 on January 15, 2007 - 22:45.

Blackice,
Thanks for all the good advice. I hope to give it a try on Wed afternoon.
Jenny1

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"The Basics = Sailing Smart"

Submitted by GeoffS on January 15, 2007 - 22:14.

Jane Pegel wrote a good summary of what to keep in mind when you're iceboating titled: "The Basics = Sailing Smart" that I recommend very highly.

Actually, most of the articles in the "Safety" section on the IDNIYRA website are quite good.

Cheers,

Geoff S.

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Geoff,That article looks great.

Submitted by Jenny1 on January 15, 2007 - 22:40.

Geoff,
That article looks great. I printed it out to give it a good look over. I actually bought by DN from Jane. She gave me all the instructions she could without being on the ice. Thanks for your help.
Jenny1

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Find some local iceboaters

Submitted by GeoffS on January 16, 2007 - 09:53.

Probably the best advice is to find some other iceboaters to sail with. I'm sure you'll find folks exceedingly willing to help you get started with everything from setup to sailing tips.

If you're in the Madison area, keep an eye on iceboat.org for information on local sailing. If you're further north, this site is a great source of information on the "local scene".

Cheers,

Geoff S.

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My big question, Can you

Submitted by richard crainium on January 15, 2007 - 21:49.

My big question, Can you reassemble to iceboat on the ice? Do you know where other iceboats might also be set up. Go there and you'll get all the help you need if anyone is around. Hopefully your in an area where there are a few other sailors.

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Here is some

Submitted by schneidp20 on January 15, 2007 - 08:21.

Here is some reading
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Points_of_sail

If your sailing with other boats, you should also know the right of way rules. There are many obscure rules (in my opinion), but the two big ones are starboard over port, and leeward over windward.
http://www.sailingcourse.com/racing_rules.htm

Happy sailing!
Dave

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Different rules on ice vs. soft-water...

Submitted by GeoffS on January 15, 2007 - 11:08.

Just an important FYI, the rules listed above have no bearing on iceboating.

The official iceboat racing rules are here.

There's a nice graphic showing them:

    NEIYA Racing Rules Graphic by Hal Chamberlain

Cheers,

Geoff S.
US-5156

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Sorry about the

Submitted by schneidp20 on January 15, 2007 - 15:01.

Sorry about the misinformation. I've even seen that graphic before and gave it to my other Izzy fiends for reference. I don't race either hard or soft water boats. In a nutshell, what are the major differences in sailing right-of-way rules?

Dave

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Lets be careful out there...

Submitted by GeoffS on January 15, 2007 - 22:05.

"In a nutshell, what are the major differences in sailing right-of-way rules?"

The biggest difference is that downwind the windward boat has right of way (opposite to the "windward-leeward" rule in softwater).

The other big one that gets people is that there's no "2 boat-length cicle" around the marks.

The iceboating rules are really simple; they need to be so people can apply them when you're zipping around at 30+ mph.

Unlike softwater sailing, there really aren't times you can use the iceboating rules for a tactical advantage. They really are intended primarily to prevent collisions. Using them in any other way is really just asking for a painful crash.

Perhaps the most complicated situation is rounding the leeward mark with other boats.
Ken Smith wrote a great article about a situation he got into a couple of years ago.

Perhaps the biggest non-rule "rule" is to turn away from a boat if it looks like you're in any danger of a collision. Last season there was a collision when two boats (port and starboard) both decided to duck the other's stern. They ended up colliding almost head-on. Not pretty. Thankfully there were no serious injuries, but one boat was completely totaled (broken into two pieces), the other one has a new nose grafted on from the mast-step forward.

Cheers,

Geoff S.

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