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Blues Chaser

Winter doldrums will never catch up with an ice boater

Adrenaline junkies wait all year for this rush, tearing over frozen lakes and ponds in an iceboat as it whips across the ice. “It’s like being shot out of a cannon,” says Steve Lamb, commodore of the New England Ice Yacht Association (NEIYA). Lamb discovered the centuries-old sport eight years ago when his young son suggested putting ice skates on his sailing dinghy. “He came up with a crayon rendition of what it would be, and I looked up ice boating online and found NEIYA,” says Lamb. “Shortly after that, I was building my own boat.” With no water resistance, sail becomes wing to make an iceboat fly, hitting speeds up to sixty or a hundred miles per hour, depending on wind velocity and type of boat. Beyond a thrill-seeking nature, a “hardwater” sailor needs the patience and good judgment to wait for proper conditions—in New England, you may travel hours to find the right ice. Once you do, there’s little to stop you (in a boat with no brakes, we mean that literally) from becoming hooked. Learn more at neiya.us. 

By Nicole Maranhas
Photography by Onne Van Der Wal