iceboating.net Minnesota Ice Sailing Association

This is my new homemade iceboat blade sharpener. It runs 2" x 132" belts, 2 HP motor, 3,600 FPM belt speed, adjustable for 80, 90, and 100 degrees, adjustable height bed. The platen is ground tool steel, which is very flat and will never wear out. Throws sparks real good !!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ3a2z6OKGU

December is coming quickly
Today's project: stay adjusters
Why: Steel was free and it's raining outside
What boat are these for: Don't know yet
How many stay adjusters do I need: All of them!!
THINK ICE

[click for full text and link below] It seems like many people have asked me for plans for my current iceboat, which has been kind of partially drawn up for a few years. So I have finally taken the time to fully detail out the entire boat. The goal of this is NOT to profess any sort of iceboating wisdom, just simply to try to get more people interested in building and continue enthusiasm in the sport. It ended up being 29 pages on 11 x 17 paper. The plans and building guide are now posted in a public folder on Google Drive per the link below.

Hi, I have a Paul Mindnich Freeskate (iceboard). I was able to work with a fiberglass guy and create a fiberglass mold to make more boards which I have created our first board but I need runners for it. I had a friend cut runners from steel to match the originals. However, I need to have a cut or grind them down on the blade/runner sharp edge that goes to the ice. I'm not sure if there is a tool for this or somewhere I can go to have this done?

photos at: bit.ly/2zRq0Hh

Thanks for any insight/ help! I'm in Minneapolis.

Here's the project of the day. (click for more pictures) Building a set of new batten for the new sail for the year (aka. "The last Henry"). Ice is coming soon, and this is a great last project before the sailing season starts to improve your boat's performance. You don't have to spend a ton on custom battens that you could be making yourself. How important is the correct set of battens? Well, I don't know how much faster they can make you go, but I do know how the wrong battens are guaranteed to slow you down.

After a couple months off, it's time to start thinking ice??? Really? (click for pictures below) Not for me, I don't have any big iceboat construction ideas this summer, but obviously others do. Looks like there is some interest in the under-represented C skeeter fleet. Racers? maybe. Passionate builders? Definitely. Here's a couple boats being built right now. the green hull is an old A skeeter hull being cut down to a C skeeter by Lance Bennett of New Hampshire. He is starting with a heavy hull, but I think he has a great plan, all the right go fast ideas, and it will be a great boat.

Ice is only 3 months away, so it is time to buckle down and focus on repairs and improvements. Click on this post to see a little write up and pictures below on the new plank for the C skeeter. If my posts get too annoyingly long, let me know. It seems like the C skeeter is telling me it wants a wider plank, because I start adding lead at about 10-12 MPH wind. So I am moving from a 16' plank to a 17' plank. The new plank will also be very hollow to reduce weight, and somewhat stiffer so the boat doesn't bottom out as easily.

Hello folks. Name is Dan McKenzie. I am just about finished with my first semester of grad school in Mankato and its about time I find where I can learn how to ice sail. I'm looking for someone who is willing to show me the ropes in the general area of Mankato. I have small and big boat water sailing experience but understand that ice boating is a different beast. Anybody out there able to help?

Dan

If anyone is in the Madison area this Wednesday eve, this would be informative.
Please join us at the next 4LIYC meeting where National Iceboat Authority member, Tim McCormick, will discuss the DARLING MARK and INLINE courses. All area iceboat clubs and racing enthusiasts are invited to attend. We meet downstairs at Angelo's Italian Restaurant at 6:30 PM.
http://iceboat.org/seasons/15-16/NIA-4LIYC-Meeting.jpg

Drifter is finally back together and ready for ice. Brand new 12" wide foam/carbon mast, larger halyards on both masts, new flatter Henry Bossett sail (wife says it looks like a tarp), two sets of basswood/carbon battens, springboard stretched 1 foot longer, larger forestay, new billet aluminum chocks, revised boom. Faster or slower yet? Only time will tell. Last year it was just a boat, now it's a "program"?? Looking forward to a great El Nino year!

Always hard to get started on iceboat work in the summer. Below is a video of construction of another new mast for the C skeeter. I have no idea what I am doing, and it won't be my first mast failure when I break it. Not sure if I actually have enough motivation (and money for carbon) to get it done, but it's a start. I don't know how to embed video very well, so it may take a couple tries. Think ice !!!!

Imagine during a heavy fog/snowstorm/rainstorm that rolls in while you are sailing, you mistakenly sail your iceboat into open water. You manage to crawl out but suffered a couple cracked ribs and a broken leg.

You know what lake you are on but how can you accurately describe where you are located to the 911 emergency responders? You need a UNIQUE location identifier which is vital in any emergency situation.

Your GPS equipped cell phone has latitude and longitude but this is where the communication problems start. You location could be either:

The new C-Skeeter is finally ready for a great Minnesota winter of Hollywood ice. It was pretty windy when I set it up in the yard, and it powered up and jumped forward on the wood under the runners a couple of times, which was really scary. Sewed up a full set of covers, the trailer is done, two sets of runners are done, sharpened and aligned, now all we need is ice.

Starting to look like it might actually make it to the ice by December. Today's lesson learned is apparently never try to assemble on a downhill slope. Never really thought about it because ice is usually level, but almost dropped the mast today before getting the boat level. Measurements for stays and sail are complete. Time for paint.

Carbon fiber is soooooooooo pretty! It makes me wonder why we put paint on these things. Considering leaving the bottom natural carbon fiber look. But hopefully nobody ever sees that side of the boat. Next up - Canopy!!