Jim Lawson’s Amazing Adventure February February Commodore Sam has asked me to write a review of my experiences with having an iceboat on Klamath 2021 Lake (sometimes referred as hard-water sailing). This goes back 45 years, so I guess it won’t hurt to to write another article on this subject. At the time I was living at 2200 Lakeshore Drive on the lake. I had a KLAMATH YACHT dock and decided with good ice I should have an iceboat. At that time I had a Hobie 14 sailboat and I CLUB thought the mast and sail would work on an ice boat which it did. (Although a smaller and flatter sail would have been better.) I got the plans for a DN iceboat and then because it was designed for a smaller 2700 Front Street sail, I enlarged the dimensions about 30%. This meant the boat (coffin) was about 16 feet long and with P.O. Box 1648 the extended front runner plank, it was about 22 feet long. The sideways runner plank was about 18 feet long from one end to the other. The only commercial items I put on the boat were some metal runner KLAMATH FALLS blades made for that purpose. I used an old, small bicycle wheel as a steering wheel and the sprockets OREGON for the chain controlled the steerable front blade. All of which actually worked quite well. 97601 While I was building the boat, I considered modifications that would make it float if I broke 541.883.3339 through the ice, but I could never figure a way of doing that that would actually work. I thought that when I came to an ice expansion crack, I would just steer away from it. Yeah, like at 30 to 40 mph you’re going Commodore to do a quick 90 degree turn. No, you just go flying over the expansion crack – no problem. The three years that I had the iceboat, the ice was reasonably thick and strong. (I had a brace & bit that allowed me Patricia Houston to drill the ice for thickness.) The problem with ice boating on Klamath Lake is that by definition it is going to be in the winter. And in the winter we often get day after day of inversion layers where there is no wind Vice Commodore at all. It seems like the only “good” winds we get in the winter are the storm winds from the south. So, Vince Wachter you either have a situation where there is not enough wind to sail, or it is maybe stronger than you would prefer. Also, I found that I could go through about 4 inches of snow. Anything more than that was a Rear Commodores problem. Micah Lambert With an iceboat, your apparent wind is always in your face whether you are going upwind or Secretary downwind. We see that all the time with the America’s Cup catamarans and now the monohulls that are Sara Dyer using hydrofoils. The good thing about that apparent wind situation is it makes jibing quite easy. You just coast through a jibe and away you go. When sailing upwind in an iceboat, if you get overpowered you do the same thing you always do on a sailboat, you feather into the wind. However, that gets a little Treasurer confusing when you are sailing downwind on an iceboat, because you are sheeted in as though you were Phillip Harbin, III sailing upwind – and that’s where I got in trouble one day. I got a gust of wind sailing downwind and made the mistake of “feathering up into the wind”. If you are flying a spinnaker on a regular sailboat, you Board of Directors don’t feather up into the wind when over-powered, you bear away down wind. That’s what you have to do Garrick Jackson on an iceboat even though you are sheeted in. Well the gust caused me to lift up on two blades instead of three, so I “feather up” and that meant I just kept lifting more off the ice until I capsized. Unfortunately Sue Harbin when you capsize on ice the mast hits the ice and puts tremendous strain on the sidestay and as a result Jim Wolfe the sidestay snaps and then the whole iceboat (coffin) comes down on your head. In hindsight, I should Christy Groff have been wearing a helmet, but I had not expected to capsize. My glasses were smashed into my Sharon Howe forehead and caused a certain amount of blood to flow down my face. I was about a mile out on the lake and had to walk back to my house over the ice. When my wife (wife #1, Nancy) saw me she wasn’t sure how badly I was hurt and after calling our family physician, Dr. Kochevar, we drove into his office. If there 2019 Commodore was a humorous part of this story it was that I was shivering as I lay on the table for Dr. K to sew up my Mike Turturici forehead. I asked for a blanket and he said you’re just in shock and I said that I had been ice boating and walking across the ice and I was cold. We continued to argue about that as he sewed me back together. By the way, Paul Tremaine was kind enough to leave work, go out on the ice and drag the KYC Website iceboat back to the club, which was closer than my house. Greg Collins www.KYCSAIL.us Later at a club awards ceremony, I was presented with a helmet for future purposes. In the meantime, I married wife #2, Marge, and she donated the iceboat to a YMCA auction – with my belated approval. Of course it was donated without the Hobie 14 mast and sail. I never knew what the fellow did Editors with it after he took it away. [email protected] Pam Garich My advice on this subject is to think twice about getting an iceboat for Klamath Lake because, Sandy Waters #1) the ice has not been very thick the last few years and #2) The wind is not very cooperative during the winter and #3) buy a helmet. Commodore ‘s Report Vice Commodore’s Report Good day to you all! Greetings from the vice: I'd like to welcome our new Board members. Joining us are Sharon Howe, Christy Groff and Micah Lambert. Sharon and husband Ralph are friends of Being the club isn’t open there isn’t much to chat about. the Harbins and were going to help me with racing this last year. Christy's husband raced several years ago and left when marrying and then raising We are in the process of updating and getting the Year kids but they each have returned and sail their pleasure boat. Micah has Book ready to print, if you have any updates from last year been around a long time being the son of Carolyn Ford, then finding his true as in change of address, new phone or cell number let me love Tabbi who also was a sailor. Now as Colonel of 173rd, the husband know. If you would like your email address printed in the and father of two awesome young ladies will serve as Rear Commodore. year book let me know also. If it was in last year’s book and Thank you each for running! I'm looking forward to great accomplishments correct then no change will be made. Let me know of any from you all! changes ASAP so we can finish it up and get to the printers. As we remain closed it becomes increasingly difficult to put together an article so I shall revert to some history. Also we are looking into ordering sweatshirts and such with the KYC logo on them, let me know if you’re interested. Years ago the lake would freeze over pretty solidly so there was a board at the bar for predicting the day the ice would break up. Another feat would be Cheers who was first to sail after such breakup. Vince would have to fill in the year Vince that the harbor was cleared of snow and a hockey game set up complete with spectators! I asked Jim Lawson to write his experience with an ice boat, I wasn't yet in KF to witness this. It is included in this edition. Thank you, Jim. With vaccinations on the way we hope to reopen sometime this spring. Greg Collins and the San Juan crew have worked a long time putting together details for the San Juan 21 North American Nationals in June. This truly great effort is appreciated! Not being sure of the summer restrictions we will have to wait about planning a Trans Klam, Half Klam and our Firecracker Regatta. I would appreciate chairs for each of these events however. Contact me or Vince if you are so inclined. Similarly we are on hold for racing this year. I'm hoping we can have a full season! What were you doing on Halloween morning 2010? Date on photo is incorrect. Stay healthy all! Commodore H Former Commodore Gail Corey Gail Elaine Corey passed away peacefully on January 7, 2021, at the age of 86. Gail was born in Pontiac, Michigan, in 1934. In 1957, she married Patrick Carry, and together they had six had children, of whom Michael Carry of Rocky Point and Eileen Carry of Santa Monica, CA, survive. Gail had a successful career as a self-employed court reporter in San Francisco, and moved to Klamath Falls in 1996.