Pray for ice and a good, long cold spell to make it thick enough that this monster might make an appearance on the Navesink for the first time since 1920. The Rocket, with its 38 foot tall mast and 900 sq. ft. of sail, has been painstakingly restored and is ready to barrel across the ice, if only the weather will cooperate.
I’m hoping maybe the weekend after next, if this cold sticks.
Image from The North Shrewsbury Ice Boat and Yacht Club
My mother (age 85) would love The Rocket. She and her brother had an ice boat on Lake Champlain when they were kids. Fond memories of the excitement of sailing on the ice.
Hope you get that cold spell, I bet that thing can fly.
Caroline at 44N 103W
That looks really cool! I hope it gets a chance to sail.
I dunno – that thing looks like it could get up some really hairy speed. That is a lot of sail, and with modern ski finishes and waxes, presents little drag. Expect some hot-dog to take it out on its maiden “voyage” in a 60MPH wind and fracture it. 😉 I’m not sure how big the Navesink is, but I hope it’s huge. And frozen for a good 6″.
But too cold, too icy for me – I get hypothermic at 30 degrees. You don’t really think I live in the south for the culture? Looks like a blast, however. Did I mention the cold? 😉
What a sight that would be! I hope it comes to pass. Take pictures if it does!!
Oh I hope, I hope, I hope it flies and you get a picture!
I once read a book “Cathedral to the Wind” about the great Americas Cup sail boat built by Nat Heerschoff years ago in Rhode Island and it had sail lines like that .. looked toally out of place from it’s surroundings!
That’s wild. I’d love to see it! Hope the cold sticks :o)
All: I was down to the river today checking on the ice progress…
😉
A few little DN’s, but none were sailing yet. Maybe later in the week.
Dr. Know: I think I read that these can move 2 or 3 times the speed of the wind? Upwards of 60 mph for sure.
(Sounds crazy!)
The Navesink is not particularly wide and I think an ice boat of this size needs 6 – 12 inches of ice.
(Probably won’t happen.)
;-(
How can you live somewhere without a proper winter?
I have a strange suspicion that that would be fun to ride on.