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Please report sailable ice to Claude Morin at tel. 514 745-5549 or e-mail to [email protected] for posting on this page

The ice reports contained in this page are not advocating the ice surface is safe to use or to go onto. These reports are posted only for information purposes. It is each person’s or group’s responsibility intending to use the ice to verify its thickness, find & mark hazards as well as carrying the proper safety equipment based on the type of utilisation. The author of the ice reports, as well as his sources of information cannot be held responsible for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, personnel injuries, death, and damage to equipment or accidents of any sorts as a result of any postings on this website.

Ces rapports de glace ne sont pas une indication que la surface glacée est sécuritaire. Ces rapports sont émis pour votre information seulement. Chaque personne ou groupe qui utilise cette information est responsable de vérifier l’état général de la glace avant de s’y aventurer, de mesurer son épaisseur, déterminer si il y a des endroits plus mince ou même des trous qui devraient être marques. L’auteur de ces rapports, ainsi que ses sources d’informations ne peuvent en aucun cas être tenu responsable en cas d’erreurs, d’omissions, de blessures corporelles, de mort et de dommage cause a de l’équipement.

The Club's annual BBQ & swap meet is scheduled for Oct 25th from noon to 3, at the Pointe-Claire Yacht Club, at the south end of Cartier street. Bring interested parties along. It's a great reunion to talk about the up-coming season, equipment & tuning. The Club is offering Hot-Dogs and refreshments

Hello everyone. It's that time of the year when we look at previous year's ranking, photos & videos. This time also remind us of the stuff that need repair....like bent runners, cracked floor etc... Good luck in your projects and don't forget our annual BBQ planned for the second half of October. E-mails will be sent to all of you to confirm date and location.

Don't store your iceboat stuff just yet. Magog, Thetford Mines & Nominingue still have a good thickness of ice. There will be no sailing this week-end as sun, warm temperature and rain will interfere. Let's monitor what next week might have to offer and return to this page...just in case we can squeeze another one...next week-end

Saturday we sailed off of Beaconsfield in medium air in corn like snow ice. On Sunday, cooler winds kept the surface hard and we sailed all day in medium to high winds.

Lac Brome & St-Louis were sailed today and conditions are surprisingly good. The snow ice is hard but a little rough. Tomorrow the forecast in Montreal is 4 degrees and 20 km winds. We will be launching off of Centennial Park, west of St-Charles in the West Island. There will be folks there at 09:30

Seven Canadians showed-up in Malletts Bay for the New-England Championship including Bob Crinion of Halifax NS. Unfortunately the race which started lake was quickly abandoned after one race Saturday pm when ice became soft and diminishing wind. We're glad we sailed around for a while before the race. Sunday am gave us just enough wind in the bay in front of the ramp, to learn more about fine settings and tuning for light air...The big skeeters managed to complete their regatta Saturday pm. There were many big boats (skeeters and a stern)

The NEIYA is hosting the New-England Championship tomorrow. The site is Malletts Bay off route 127. For more info call the hot line at 508-481-1011. Five, possibly six of us are planning on participating. As far as ice is concern, there is plenty this week except for Kingston ON where high winds blew it all off. Here are the lakes I got reports of great sailable ice:

St-Louis in Montreal QC Missisquoi Bay in Philipsburg & Venise QC Memphremagog, Magog QC.

Six MIBA Club Members sailed Valois Bay in Dorval yesterday. The ice is now very smooth but the wind let us down early in the day.

Other folks are sailing Memphremagog where similar ice conditions were reported. Forecast looks promising for the rest of the week.

NEIYA postponed the New England Champ. to next week-end over uncertainties related to weather. MIBA Club Members sailed Valois Bay in Dorval this week and found the snow ice smoother than what we saw at Cartier a couple of weeks ago. We're meeting at the Venture Sailing Club tomorrow morning at 1100 hrs. Hope to see many of you out there cause the season will soon be over. You got to use the ice when its available!

The trip to Kingston was a blast! We sailed non stop from 1100 hrs until 0530 on black ice rated 9 on a scale of 1 to 10. We had light to medium wind and sunshine and it all ended with a cold beer - Priceless!

Many thanks to the Kingston Yacht Club members that invited us over and share the same passion we do. We're looking forward to having you over next time we have great ice conditions.

Lac Ontario in Kingston ON, reported mostly smooth ice with occasional rough patch. Tomorrow wind should be N NW 6 kts gusting to 9 and -7 degrees. We're planning on leaving Mtl Sunday @ 07:00 to meet the folks at the Yacht Club, # 7 Maitland St.

VT folks have sailed Shelburne Bay today and reported rough ice. Boats were left on ice as they plan to sail same spot on Sunday. Access is Bay Rd. from Rt 7. They will be launching from a private residence in the middle of the bay but you will be able to find them if you come down. Contact person is Paul Gervais, Cell # 802 343-7899. Forecast calls for increasing winds 1 to 9 kts by late afternoon and -5 degrees.

I got a report in the morning that ice is in decent shape on Lac Deschenes in Ottawa ON. No afternoon updates. Contact person: Hugh Morrin :[email protected]

Magog reported snow ice over a couple of inches of slush. Conditions are: rough ice, changing wind directions and a truck has left many tracks as it was breaking through the top ice into the slush. Not sure how far south the truck travelled onto the lake. Wind forecast calls for gusty conditions and changing directions tomorrow with -7 degrees.

It's too early tonight to tell if we have ice in and around Montreal. ON, QC, NY & VT got a good downpour of rain today so it is looking promising. By lunch time tomorrow, reports should start coming in and I'll try to update this page in early evening on time for Sunday. In the mean time, feel free to call me at 514 745-5549 in case we sail tomorrow.

We have ice is South Hero VT, it is a little bumpy, rumbly etc. but overly sailable and raceable. The launch site is at Whites beach off of west shore rd.. directions from Montreal are:

take Rt 2 South from Alburg to the village of So. Hero, at the blinking light take a right on South St. just past the Mechants bank, then take a right on West Shore Rd. about a mile or so down South St. Follow West Shore Rd. until you see Whites Beach parking area. We are sailing north of Providence Island

Kingston ON also reported ice downtown. High winds today has moved snow around and reduced the height of the snow.

Six DNs sailed off of Pointe-Claire most of the afternoon. The ice is rough getting out to the good ice. The best spot is about a km south of the Pier and extend to the west up to Ile Perrot.

The DN World Cup was sailed on Torch Lake in up state Michigan. Warm weather forced the organizers to move the next regatta (NAs) to Marinette, WI. Five races where sailed today and two Canadians are staying another day to resume racing tomorrow.

The Canadian provinces and north east US received plenty of rain this week followed by cold temperature. Many sites will be sailable this week-end but check ice carefully before venturing out on the lakes at top warp speed.

As for MIBA members, we're planning on meeting at the Pointe-Claire Pier Saturday before noon. Everyone is welcome and we hope you'll join us.

The DN World Cup will be sailed on Torch Lake in up state Michigan. Three Canadians from our Club are traveling to the event with two Swiss. We wish them good luck.

The nearest sailable ice now is probably Athens NY. Some of us might spend the week-end down there.

It's now confirmed the Eastern Champ is on this week-end at Toms River NJ. For more info & directions phone the hot line at 732-747-5665.

I don't have sailable here or in the Champlain valley. However, NJ had sailable ice on the Atlantic coast and they only received 3 inches of snow and a fair amount of rain followed.

The Americans might host the Eastern Championship this coming Saturday. The hot line (732) 747-5665 will be updated tomorrow night and/or Friday night. The primary site is a sea inlet about 20 miles south of Red Bank.

I don't have any reports of sailable ice tonight. Be sure to check this page again tomorrow as some folks will find the time to check for new ice. Check-out NEIYA website for sailing spots in the New England area.

I don't have any reports of sailable ice tonight. Be sure to check this page again tomorrow as some folks will find the time to check for new ice. After all, it sure was cold enough this past week to generate new ice.

We still have sailable ice on Lac St-Louis extending from Pointe-Claire to Beaconsfield. It is now covered with 3-5 cm of snow. Today's wind and gusts were a bit much for a DN but tomorrow morning looks good with forecast of 12 knots and -12 C.

Access is possible in different areas such as Centennial Park, Angel & St-Louis Parks further west.

Some folks will be meeting at # 6 Woodbridge Crescent in Beaconsfield tomorrow for scratch racing.

We sailed all afternoon on Monday on a large sheet of snow ice extending from Pointe-Claire to Beaconsfield. The week-end rain got rid of all snow and left the surface fairly smooth, 6-7 over 10. The ice is 5+ inches thick.

We got 3 cm of snow overnight which is not cause for concern at this time. One skipper braved the element late in the day (winds were too strong before then) and reported the snow has no effect on sailing.

Access is possible in different areas such as Centennial Park, Angel & St-Louis Parks further west.

Some folks will be meeting at # 6 Woodbridge Crescent in Beaconsfield tomorrow for scratch racing.

I got a report of a 6 square miles plate of 5 inch thick ice that extend from the Pointe-Claire Pier (Cartier St) to the west.

Access to ice may be difficult at the Pier and ice surface improves slightly as you head west. Reported to be a 6 (over 10) at the Pier and a 7 near Centennial Park.

Weather forecast calls for ice pellets overnight and 1-3 mm of rain in the morning and 5-10 mm in the afternoon with 15 km/h wind.

No ice to report tonight. Most regions of Ontario, Quebec & New England received snow on Tuesday and more today.

Check this page again tomorrow just in case one of our ice spotter found the perfect black ice we're all dreaming of.

There is some ice again this week-end. Thetford's got two lakes that can be used and Otter Pond near New London NH is also frozen. Contact the author for additional information

God is good! I got a call from Thetford. They are sailing on Lac des Bolducs which is the same size than Lac Becancour.

Directions to the lake are: in Thetford, turn right on St-Alphonse (route 267). Make a right a the T intersection. Stay on that road until you get to St-Daniel. At the crossroads make a left turn. The road then goes to the right, then to the left at which point the lake lake can be seen on the left. Look for the boat ramp to access the ice.

To see the lake on your PC, use maps.google.com, select terrain and you can see the lake above Saint-Methode-de-Frontenac

The wind never stop blowing in the region, so Lac Bécancour hasn't completely froze over.

We'll take this opportunity to sharpen our runners this Sunday at my place. You're all welcome to join us after lunch even if your runners are fine, if you know what I mean!! (I think you got some left over beer from the BBQ)

Lake Bécancour south of Thetford Mines QC is now partially frozen. Temperature has been dropping around -10 in last days and is expected to continue being cold until Sunday.

Prepare your stuff, and be ready to sail possibly on Sunday on short notice. The local folks are kind enough to check ice progression daily and a decision will be made sometimes Saturday.

The Club hosted its annual kick-off BBQ at the Pointe-Claire Yacht Club. Many current and retired Iceboaters showed up for the event. Thanks to cook M. Baum who diligently prepared the hot-dogs, S. Blanchard for buying all the essentials and N. Maboux for reserving this great spot on Lac St-Louis Qc.

For the second week-end in a row we have sailed in Philipsburg QC. The surface is getting crusty but the plate is huge and no cracks or pressure ridges.

One would never guess spring is officially here. Still lots of snow on the road sides but I have good news.

First, I got a report that Mallets Bay VT may be useable again, the condition is pebbly snow ice .

Secondly, there is a semi smooth ice surface, snow free in Philipsburg Qc. The issue this Saturday is the strong gusty wind in the forecast for northern VT and southern QC.

Last week-end we sailed Malletts Bay VT on great ice and good wind especially on Sunday. Thanks to local ice scouter Paul Gervais for reporting the ice and joining us for some good scratch racing.

This past week we saw more snow hit QC and New-England and there is more on the way for tonight and tomorrow. In other words, this week-end is a write off!

Snow, more snow and more more snow!! This winter is by far the worst winter for iceboating in Quebec. In fact, we broke the 1956 record for snow accumulation and winter isn't over yet. On the bright side, Vermont got new ice this week and they may be hosting the Vermont Championship this week-end in Malletts Bay.

This week-end we are sailing in Vermont. For directions, go to maps.google.com, type Milton VT, press enter, then type in eagle mountain harbour road. We will access the black ice via a fishing access immediately after the Milton sign.

North Hero VT has got some new black ice again and NEIYA is hosting the New England Championship this Saturday, on Winipesaukee NH.

I got a report that we can sail Valois Bay in Dorval. Three folks sailed on it yesterday. The surface is snow ice a little rough but fine for cruising around

Great news! There is black ice north of Sandbar VT and east of Hero Island. Some of us are planning on meeting our Vermont friends Sunday morning to do a final check of the ice condition and for some practice racing. Directions to the launch site are;

take I87 south, 11 east, 2 south until bridge for Hero Island. Take a left immediately after bridge onto Bridge Rd. Turn left onto Lakeview Dr and right on N End Rd E. Watch for a lake access on your left with car parks.

Happy New Year to our readers! Are you trading your iceboat for a new pair of skis? Hold on your horses, the season hasn't started yet and as always once it gets going you will be sailing many week-ends in a row on perfect black ice.

Our Vermont friend, namely Paul Gervais will be checking Lake Champlain tomorrow and I should have a report in the morning.

Next week's forecast calls for mild temperature and rain so we'll see what it does for local ice.

Last but not least, the Governing Committee will start their conference calls next week to select the site for the 2008 DN North American Championship.

We didn't get much cold temperatures this week and it was very windy. Not the best conditions to make new ice. As for the previous ice patches, last Sunday snow storm definitely messed it up for good. There is rain in the forecast so come back to this page daily to get the latest.

Halifax NS enjoyed black ice this week and they will probably sail again this week-end. Anyone wishing to join them should contact Bob Crinion at home 902-826-1530, cell 902-499-0824 or e-mail [email protected]

Last Sunday was a blast on Lake St-Louis off of Beaconsfield. 3 inch black ice with a mirror finish. Definitely a 9.5 on a scale of 10. Light wing from the south west kept us sailing until sunset.

I also got wind that the Ontario folks were sailing on a large sheet of black ice near Trenton and the bottom end of Champlain was also sailable.

It pretty much snowed a little every second day this week here and in Vermont so at this time we have no hope of sailing this week-end.

Today we walked on some black ice at the west end of Montreal. It's 2 inches thick and should get to 3 + over night with a temperature forecast of -17C.

Tomorrow we'll let temperature rise a little and we'll meet at Angel's Park a few kilometers west of Centennial Park

Some sailors will meet at the Venture Club tomorrow at 09:00am. We're bringing the DNs along in case we find sailable ice. If we can't sail Valois Bay we'll head west to Centennial Park, Bay d'Urfee, Vaudreuil Bay, Vaudreuil Inlet and Lac Des Deux Montagnes.

There is some new ice on Lac des Deux Montagnes so chances are we might try it out Saturday morning. Access may be possible at l'Anse a L'Orme or at Cap St-Jacques.

I got a report today that Mississquoi Bay skimmed over Sunday hours before the snow dump. The good news is that other bays around Montreal and Burlington VT have not froze yet and the temperature will drop low enough in next three knights to make some.

I'm afraid sailing is out (or should I say snowed in!) for this week-end. I'm not aware of any ice in a 3 hr drive radius around Montreal and if there were, it would be covered with snow!

Lake Becancour (east of Thetford Mines QC) skimmed over last Monday. Today it received 6 inches of snow, then rain and possibly more snow overnight. It's possible this lake may not be usable this fall.

There is more cold weather on the way next week, so our hopes goes for the Lac Du Huit, about 2 km north of Lake Becancour.

The annual BBQ was a success. Mother nature cooperated by providing lots of sunshine until a quarter to 3, when clouds brought in the first flurries. Lots of people turned-up, one complete DN, two masts, one sail and a sidecar changed hands.

Notre BBQ annuel auras lieu le dimanche 28 octobre au Club Venture de Pointe-Claire. Je vous attends vers midi, en grand nombre et surtout n'oubliez pas d'apporter tout le matériel que vous voulez vendre.

Il va y avoir des croustilles et des hot dogs pour tous et même des DN en exposition sur la pelouse. Bienvenue a tous, membres et non-membres du Club.

Le Club Venture est situe du cote sud du Chemin du Bord du Lac près de l'avenue Sunnyside.

BBQ and Garage sale

The annual Club BBQ will take place on Sunday October 28th at the Venture Club in Pointe-Claire. I hope you can all join me starting at noon and don't forget to bring those dusty DN parts that you want to sell.

We'll have plenty of chips and hot dogs for everyone and we'll showcase a couple of DNs on the grass. Everyone is welcome, members and non-members alike.

The Venture Club is on the south side of the Lakeshore Dr, near Sunnyside Avenue.

Saturday April 7th 2007

Today we checked conditions on Lake of Two Mountains from Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac and although there is still miles of thick ice (12 inches+) the surface is rough and access is difficult as the water level was raised a feet or two this past week. No drain holes.

Later we got on a sheet of ice off of Bay d'Urfee with similar surface condition but access was easy just west of the yacht club. As the day progress we kept finding more and more drain holes, large enough to eat a runner alive!!!

We hope to use the plate on Two Mountains sometimes next week after the wind and the rain smoothen the surface.

Sailable snow ice was reported on Lake Memphremagog, Quebec. The ice was walked Saturday, one mile south from the town of Magog. Ice surface is 7 on a scale of 1 to 10, some irregularities due to vehicule tracks, 6 inches thick.

Access is from highway 112, 1 km west of Magog, Plage municipale (municipal beach)

It's not over until it's over! I have not received any reports of sailable ice yet this week but one thing is sure some lakes near Montreal still have over a foot of ice.

Next week forecast is somewhat encouraging as there is cloud cover and rain. This should prepare the ice for the upcoming long week-end.

Ice sailing is not over yet in this part of the continent. Tomorrow we're planning on sailing before the rain. You can see us at any of the following: Bay Valois in Dorval or Centennial Park or in the Vaudreuil Bay south of A40 or Lake of Two Mountains in Vaudreuil-sur-le Lac. Later this month and even in April we shall sail Memphremagog.

I took a quick look at Lake St-Louis this afternoon and there is still plenty of ice as fishermen are still driving on it. It seems there was too much evaporation yesterday before the freeze and, as a result the surface is porous and fairly rough.

We got lots of rain this week and the snow is now history on the lakes surrounding Montreal. We intend to check the ice tomorrow so be sure to come back here for the latest

There is no sailable ice near Montreal at this time. The New-England folks may be able to sail in MA or NJ. Check the NEIYA website in the links page

At this time I don't have any reports of sailable ice here or in the north east US. Come back here tomorrow as I may have an update since some states received rain today.

Visit the following site for awesome pictures & videos including helicopter shots.

"Canada team" returned home last night after a wonderful 6 days of sailing the World & the North American Championships on Green Bay, Wisconsin. The results are:

Skipper WC NA Fleet

The storm has covered all known ice in the area.

There will be no reports for the next two week-ends as four of us are going to Green Bay WI for the Worlds and North American Championships.

We sailed all day on Lac St-Louis in very light wind

Black ice rated 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 was reported at the south end of Lac St-Louis. There is a 20 % snow cover in some areas, 1/4 to 1 inch max.

We will launch from St-Louis park in Beaconsfield or from another other park about 300m west of St-Louis. To get there, take A20 west and exit at Woodland. Turn left on Beaconsfield and then right on St-Louis. You'll see the park on your left once you get to Lakeshore road.

2007 Eastern Regional DN Championship is on for Feb 3 and 4

Site: Lake Winnipesaukee

The regatta was postponed following snow showers overnight. We sailed north of the causeway that links VT to NY with friends from VT & NJ

I got wind that another sheet of new ice has formed this week on Lake St-Louis. We're going to take a look at it off the pier in Pointe-Claire at noon. Bring your boat along as we may be sailing later in the day .

Four iceboats sailed the south west end of Lake St-Louis on black ice and 20 plus km/h wind. The thin snow cover (50% of area) got blown around all day and it has become hard as a result.

There is still a large area of the lake which is not frozen yet (where the Worlds were sailed in 1999) so we are preparing for the next cold spell!

Lake St-Louis now have 4-5 inches of smooth black ice approx. 3 square kilometres in area. The surface is 50% smooth like glass and 50% pebbly with 5% snow cover less than a cm in thickness. The ice is accessible via Centennial Park. Park your vehicle in designated areas only otherwise you may get a 42$ fine.

Lake St-Louis and Deux Montagnes skimmed over in the middle of the week. Some are planning to take a look at St-Louis (off of Centennial Park) Sunday morning.

Bay Mississquoi skimmed over just before the snow storm. That site as well as all other known sailable lake or bay in Quebec are now under 6 to 10 inches of snow.

The broader Lake St-Louis and Deux-Montagnes have not skimmed over because of the wind

The forecast for Island Pond wasn't great so we went back to the Anse de Vaudreuil. The ice thickness was at the minimum limit but the surface was a 10. After a thorough check we elected to set sails. The sun was shining, winds were light at 5 to 15km/hr and we sailed until the sun was down!

The Anse de Vaudreuil and the Bay are not ready for sailing tomorrow. I hope we don't get 10cm of snow overnight Monday!

The great Lake St-Francois (Thetford Mines) has now got 5-6 inches of great quality ice. Many of the local skippers will be sailing it again tomorrow. They might even attempt the 16km trip to the south end of the lake.

As for the racers, we'll meet our Vermont friends tomorrow on Island Pond, south east of Newport.

The Anse de Vaudreuil and the Bay are frozen again. The surface is smooth like glass and it's 2 inches thick, a little thin.

We're thinking of measuring it again Sunday morning in hopes than it gained another inch. Our Vermont friends are going to check Island Pond, a little lake south east of Newport.

Next week forecast looks good for Mississquoi to freeze over and be ready for serious racing next week-end

The Mississquoi Bay is still not frozen at this time so I have no choice but to postponed the Canadian Championship until the 20th.

Some scratch raced the Lac Du Huit near Thetford Mines yesterday in a good breeze on six inches of ice. An 8 foot board was required to access the ice that was 50% smooth black ice and another 50% bumpy (1 to 2 cm) with occasional snow like formation. Just like your average ice condition at major regattas!!

Lac Brome is frozen with a couple of inches of ice. I'll get an update later this week after a couple of cold nights.

Tomorrow we're planning a trip to Thetford Mines again. Both Lac Becancour and Lac Du Huit feature 5 to 6 inches of ice. Tomorrow's high is -1, sunny breaks and a westerly wind of 20 km/h.

Location, skipper's meeting and first race time to be announced later next week.

I got a report today that Nominingue (north of Montreal) is sailable. It froze completely last week and was skated this morning. It's got 4 inches of smooth black ice with occasional bumps ( 1-2 cm) caused by melted snow.

Some are considering the trip tomorrow and/or on Sunday. It's a 3 hr drive from Montreal.

Thanks to Stephane Blanchard that took the time yesterday to check existing ice, we sailed the Bay de Vaudreuil today in 30 to 45 km winds!!! That Bay had smaller snow drifts than the Anse so the rain & warm wind got rid of the snow and left us with near perfect ice.

We could not use the entire frozen area because of a strip of ice debris about 20 feet wide that runs diagonally in the Bay.

We don't expect new ice this week as temperatures are barely going under 0C at nights and + 3 to +6 during the days.

Today we sailed the Anse de Vaudreuil in 20 plus km/hr wind on a 10 (over 10) rated black ice. Approximately 4 cm of snow fell in the morning and by the time we packed up in the afternoon, the wind had converted the little snow into drifts, the height of the runner plank.

The ice is 3.5 x 2 km wide and 3-4 inches thick. Sailing tomorrow is uncertain at this time unless we get winds of 20 km/hr to plough through the snow.

The outlook for next week is not bad as there is rain and mild temperature during the day, cold nights so we hope it's going to clean up the snow off the ice.

I have surveyed the Montreal island surrounds today and I found ice in two areas;

a) To the north west, in the Lake of Two Mountains the Anse de Vaudreuil has 2 inches of ice with a thin pebbly surface finish.

b) south east of the above Anse, the south west end of the Bay de Vaudreuil froze over last night but it's only an inch thick with similar surface finish.

Temperature forecast for the next couple of nights is -15 & -13C which will add another 2 inches to existing ice, just in time for the week-end. Directions to the Anse de Vaudreuil is as follows: Take A40 west and cross the bridge de l'Ile aux Tourtes. Take exit 35 and turn right onto Avenue St-Charles. Drive about 500m and turn right onto Chemin de L'Anse. In another 500m you will see a fishing access (not opened yet) but the owner is nice enough to let DN use it until the fishing huts are on the ice.

Our region is now expected to receive some rain that will change to snow overnight. Forecast calls for 5 to 10 cm. We'll assess damage, if any sometimes on Tuesday. The rest of the week looks good.

Three DNs sailed the Lac du Huit (Thetford Mines QC) yesterday afternoon in strong winds. The pebbly ice surface was perfect for that wind as it provided good grip to prevent side slippage.

As for the week-end the forecast is not so good. We're expecting freezing rain overnight and in the morning then plain old rain.

Six DNs sailed Lac Becancour all day on Sunday. The snow ice was smooth and free of hazards. A rain shower in late morning and increased wind velocity gave us many hours of fast scratch racing!

Many thanks to local folks Marcel & Luc that called us on Friday to report the ice and Mrs Laflamme that let us use her land for launch.

Ice on Lac Becancour is deemed too soft for sailing today as temperature did not go below 0 overnight. We are planning on sailing tomorrow following a -10 overnight.

This page will not be revised on Sunday but you can call me at 514 771-7408 for an update.

Directions are: Once in Thetford, about midtown (opposite KFC) turn right on St Alphonse. At T intersection, turn left on Chemin du Mont Granit N. Drive for about 800m and turn right on Chemin du Lac Becancour. At the next T intersection, turn left on Chemin Provencher and drive about 2 km and make a right turn on Chemin Cliche. We launch from the last property on that road.

We got a report that Lac Becancour is still frozen with 3 inches of black ice. It will be looked at again Saturday morning and this page will be updated accordingly. Weather calls for sunshine and 20 km winds from the west.

Both sources reported thin soft ice so there is no sailing for another week. The forecast calls for cold nights beginning of the week, which should improve ice thickness, then rain to wash the little snow off the surface.

I have no reports of sailable ice at this time although we know of two lakes that froze over. Lac Becancour, Quebec and Plymouth Pond in Maine will be verified thoroughly tomorrow so I can update this page in early evening Saturday.

Well, I still don't have reports of ice for the Quebec area. However, the temperature forecast is looking promising for next week, as the mercury is expected to fall down to double digits figures under the freezing mark, starting this week-end and continuing for the rest of next week. I'll update this page as soon as I have confirmation that there is sailable ice.

We've had a lovely week with cooler nights (below freezing) and lots of sunshine during the day. Unfortunately, no ice was made and next week forecast calls for above average temperatures for this time of the year. We'll have to wait another week or so.

This fall will not be a record breaker for early ice formation in the north east. Temperatures have been above average in last couple of weeks.

Here are the race results and international rankings for our racing Club members.

Dave Fortier's health is improving and I have signed the guest book on behalf of the Canadian sailors. For the latest info regarding Dave's progress visit the following site

We had hope to have the Canadian Championship this week-end but the sun and the mild weather is working against us.

Do not put the iceboat away yet as there are other lakes such as Memphremagog, Nominingue and St-Francois that still have 2 feet of ice under a protective layer of snow

Four Canadians participated in the Doc Fellow Regatta on a perfect very large plate of black ice in Malletts Bay VT. Thanks to the organiser Eben Whitcomb and his assistants for an excellent regatta.

Two of us sailed all morning Marhc 18 on Baie Vaudreuil with a large smooth plate between Ile Cadieux , Pointe Cavanagh and close to Oka beach. There are fault ridges along Ile Caidieux and out from Pointe Bleuet in front of Oka beach where you have to pull the boat over the ridge.

Today two skippers sailed Baie Valois in Dorval. The snow ice smooth and hard, with a 50% thin snow cover. The ice texture is 75 % rated 9 and the 25% 5 or 6.

Tomorrow Saturday, the NEIYA is hosting the Doc Fellow Regatta at Malletts Bay in Vermont. For details visit www.neiya.org

I just got a report of sailable ice in Venise en Quebec. Be extra cautious at this time of the year, do not venture out alone and always inspect ice thickness and consistency before taking off on a reach!

Some of us sailed Lac St-Louis off of the Centennial Park in Beaconsfields. The ice was 6 to 7 inches thick (black) with a smooth textured surface. We saw many drain holes approx. 6 inches in diameter and larger ones along cracks. With more rain in the forecast this area will no longer be sailable.

Our Ex-Commodore Andre Baby broke his ankle when checking ice this morning. He is back at home now with his right foot in a cast. We wish him a prompt recovery

I got a report today that we have black ice off of the pier in Pointe-Claire. It is 4 to 5 inches thick, smooth surface with a 30 % snow cover.

Bob Stone reported the ice on Lac St-Louis got blown away with the strong winds and refroze. This is new THIN ice that was formed overnight. Do not go out on that ice.

As far as I could see, large plate of textured ice with hard frozen snow (half inch) on 10 to 20% of surface. Very flat and sailable. For more info, call : 819-847-0992 Directions: Autoroute 10 east, to exit 115S (Magog), then route 112 east for 3km to Chemin Southière, turn right on Chemin Southière for 1,3km to avenue du Parc, turn left on avenue du Parc for 1,1km to 282 avenue du Parc. PS: After I leave the cottage Sunday at the end of the afternoon, you can access the lake through Magog's public beach, 3,5 km on route 112 east after exit 115S.

Congratulations to Andre baby who finished 5th at the Eastern Championship. The regatta was sailed on rough ice with partial snow cover and ample wind especially in the last race. Rookie Stephane Blanchard experienced his first flip over when hit by a puff going upwind. No injuries but the his boat sustained some damage. Nothing Stephane cannot fix.

NEIYA has chosen Malletts Bay to host the 2006 Eastern DN Championship. Five of us will participate. For others that are not racing, Baie Missisquoi is the place to sail this week-end.

To the south, south east the ice is a bit bumpy and there is a 50% snow cover. The snow is sometimes over an inch thick and slows you down considerably. That part of the bay is also split by two pressure ridges.

To the west along the shore and up to the point the ice is smooth and snow cover is down to 5% and very thin so it is not an issue.

The NEIYA are looking for suitable ice to host the Eastern DN Championship this week-end. They are checking lakes in Maine, Vermont and New-Hampshire. We expect site selection tonight.

Four of us returned from the North American Championship on Lake Pepin, on the border of WI & MN. See results on the IDNIYRA bulletin Board.

The Canadian Championship is still not sailed as this time so come back here regularly for updates.

Lake of Two Mountains and Baie de Vaudreuil look good from the highway. They'll have to be checked after next cold front.

Lake of Two Mountains and Baie Missisquoi are both sailable although a little snow came down today. You'll need big wind to sail Two Mountains as some snow area is hardening.

We checked Lake of Two Mountains today and it's in great condition. We got enough rain last Saturday, that it absorbed the snow that followed. It resulted in a pebbly surface finish with 30% fluffy snow cover that is less than an inch.

Got a good report from the Baie Mississquoi (top of Lake Champlain), they have 12 inches of snow ice, pebbly surface, 20% thin snow cover.

Three DN sailed the Lac des Deux Montagnes on Friday in light wind in the morning and in medium wind late in the afternoon. Today the rain changed to snow at noon and lft about 5cm on the ice.

A group of 5 DNs are heading for Philipsburg sunday morning as local contacts believe the ice may be sailable.

At the last minute we elected to check the Baie de Vaudreuil. The ice condition were nice but we found a few tire tracks and the fishing huts are accumulating thus reducing the size of the sailing area. It's plenty of ice for half a dozen sailors.

We later accessed the Lac des Deux Montagnes via a fishing ramp (it costs 3$) to find smooth ice as far as the eye can see. It's a smooth snow ice on top of an old black ice, pebble finish less than 1 cm. We set-up a World Champ course and had plenty of spare room outside of the course. No pressure ridges, just some heeled cracks.

Directions are: go west on A40 and take first exit off of the Ile aux Tourtes bridge. Stay to your right until the stop sign. Turn left at the stop and make a left at the second road, the one that has multiple signs PRIVE posted on trees and pickets. Pay your access just before ramp and drive onto the ice to the end of huts row.

Well it turned out the wind was a bit strong and the temperature very cold. Seven skippers braved the elements and enjoyed sailing on the broader Lac St-Louis.

Unfortunately, strong winds and or a water level variation have damaged the ice on the lake. At this time it is not advisable to sail the lake except perhaps in protected areas such as Bay Valois. I'm expecting an early report tomorrow morning and we hope to use the bay again starting in late morning.

The wind are not as strong as predicted so we're going to launch the iceboats off of Joachim Street in Pointe-Claire. It's a couple of blocks west of Cartier Street towards the Church.

Well, we got rain, a little snow and the temperature is expected to plunge to -14 overnight. The recipe for great ice! DN may not come out tomorrow as the wind forecast is too much for them but Iceflyers and others will certainly enjoy the 35 km wind.

Please verify ice condition very meticulously as there may be thin spots, cracks and holes.

Those of you that can take Monday off are welcome to join some of us at Baie Valois or possibly at Centennial Park just west of St-Charles blvd

The mild weather and expected rain overnight shall clean-up all local ice of snow accumulation. Some parties will take a look at the ice on Saturday for a more accurate update. We think Bay Valois should be sailable on Sunday.

All known ice around Montreal is now covered with 10 cm of snow. Time to work on those improvements you always wanted to do or get rid of some items on the honey do list! Long term weather forecast calls for rain - this could be good.

Bay Valois has been sailed every day since December 30th and the conditions are still good. However a new larger plate is now ready off of Centennial Park just west of St-Charles blvd. The ice is smoother and there is currently no snow on it. Weather forecast calls for 2-4 cm of snow in next 24 hours so we might use that plate tomorrow instead of Valois. See you there.

Five skippers sailed bay Valois all afternoon with a nice NW breeze. The ice is much smoother than anticipated and we are looking forward to sailing tomorrow with winds of 20 km/h! Hope many more will join us.

I just got a report that two skippers checked Valois Bay this morning. It's a snow ice rated 5 or 6 on a scale of 10. We're sailing out of the Venture Club on Lakeshore this afternoon and possibly over the week-end.

Our friends in Vermont reported 4 inches of snow ice at the south end of Champlain Lake, free of any snow. The surface is rated 5 on a scale of 1 to 10. 10 being perfect ice. There will be skippers on the ice tomorrow morning from Montreal and Vermont and possibly on Thursday depending on weather.

Directions from Quebec are: take A15 south that becomes I87 south in NY. Exit at Port Henry and stay on highway 9 until the sign for the Vermont bridge (left turn). Stay on country road immediately after the bridge and drive for about 400 meters and make another right turn to the fishing access.

Be careful when sailing out of the little bay as there is usually a pressure ridge that separates the launching bay and the sailable ice.

Two lakes in Thetford Mines area are frozen over with more than 3 inches of black ice, smooth surface and no snow yet. The local forecast calls for 1 cm of snow in the next 24 hrs.

Directions from the States: head-up towards Sherbrooke, then onto the 55 north to bypass Sherbrooke, take A10 east exit past Sherbrooke to get to highway 112.

Once in Thetford, about midtown (opposite KFC) turn right on St Alphonse. At T intersection, turn left on Chemin du Mont Granit N. Drive for about 800m and turn right on Chemin du Lac Becancour. At the next T intersection, turn left on Chemin Provencher drive 2 km and make a right turn on Chemin Cliche. We launch from the last property on that road.

Strong winds in last couple of days have remove all ice on Lac Becancour. The forecast calls for wind again for the beginning of the week so we'll have to wait another week.

The status at Lac Becancour is as follows: one end of the lake has snow free ice 2.5 inches thick but the other end is open water. The next nights will be cold enough to generate more ice but it's unlikely that it will be sailable before Monday.

I am considering sailing on Monday with local guys - Anybody interested in joining give me a call.

Mother nature was on our side beginning of the week as Lac Becancour froze over but things got ugly yesterday as 10 inches on snow was dumped on the new ice. There is hope however for the first week-end of December as this snow should get washed off by rain on Tuesday and Wednesday and freeze again just in time for the week-end.

There is renewed interest in the DN class as we sold another boat today. Mark your agendas as the North American & Canadian Championships will be sailed in the week starting Jan 29, 2006 hopefully on Lake Champlain or Lake St-Louis.

Get your stuff ready as temperature will drop nicely in the Thetford Mines area. See below: THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE HIGH 0°C -2°C 1°C 4°C 0°C 1°C LOW -2°C -9°C -7°C -3°C -2°C -2°C PS: These are temperatures a the foothills. It will drop another 2 to 5 degrees in the mountains!

I'm happy to announce the Club has a new treasurer. Michel Baum has accepted the position after Marc Gagnier expressed his desire to resign. Michel will prepare a financial statement in the next couple of weeks.

As far as ice formation is concerned, the Thetford Mines area received a few centimetres of snow last week but no hard freezing nights yet.

Once again weather was on our side for the annual meeting. Sunshine and 15 degrees. We have met five new peoples and two have joined the Club. They are Stephane Longpre and Lennie Liscio. Welcome aboard folks.

Andre Baby was honoured with a souvenir for the 10 years he ran this Club and his dedication to promote this sport in our region. His wife Louise was also honoured for assisting Andre.

Treasurer Marc Gagnier reported on the finances of the Club. We have money in the bank and no need to collect existing Club members.

We usually have sailable ice nearby at the end of December beginning of January so we agreed to host a tune-up regatta again this holiday season.

It's now time to sharpen your runners and check your equipment. Last year we were sailing Lake Becancour on November 13th. History can repeat itself again so be ready for the first ice of the season!

Annual Club meeting: The meeting is scheduled on October 30th 2005. Andre Baby has once more offered to hold the event at his place, at 6 Clearpoint, Pointe-Claire from noon time to 3 o'clock.

Canadian Championship: On October 13, Club members as well as other fellow Canadians have agreed to allow the Championship south of the border. The event will now be tagged along (time permitting) with the North American Championship.

The 2006 North American Championship is scheduled to be held on the east cost of the continent, starting on Sunday January 29, 2006. With mother nature on our side, the the week long event could be held on beautiful Lake Champlain.

We got a good report of sailable ice on Lake Champlain. There is 8-9 inches of black and snow ice mix. Because of the sun effect at this time of the year, you are advise to go early and use the ice before the runners start digging in the softer surface.

Anyone going shall contact Paul Gervais (from 6 am) at 802 863-5440 (or cell 202 343-7899). Directions are; Once in Burlington go south on highway 7 until past the Shelburne Museum. Make a right turn at lights onto Boshwick rd (which becomes Greenbush). Turn right again later on Lake road. The launch area is near the road split. Sail fast, sail safe.

Still no sailable ice nearby but don't give-up yet. The snow cover protects ice against the warmer sun so all is required is a little rain and cool nights and we'll be back in business. Some years we have sailed in late April!

Congratulations to Andre Baby that won the Eastern Championship, second year in a row! As for ice, I got no report of sailable ice around Montreal.

Some are going to Massachusetts for the Eastern Championship this week-end. I am not aware of any great ice nearby. Some folks may try Lac St-Louis on Sunday.

Slight change of plan for today. Skippers will be launching at Pointe Bay Marina which is immediately south of Converse Bay. Directions are as follows:

South on I89 to Burlington, right on 189 at South Burlington, turn left on route 7, at Charlotte at bottom of hill, turn right at traffic light onto ferry road. Turn left at stop sign onto Greenbush, then right onto Thompson Point until you reach the marina.

We got a report that Converse Bay is still in good shape. Tomorrow the wind might be light if any but most are optimistic for Sunday. See previous entry for directions.

We got a report that Converse Bay has a 1 mile x 3 miles sheet of black ice, 3½ inches thick and building. Let's meet down there at around 09:30. Directions for Converse Bay, Vermont are:

· At Charlotte at bottom of hill on route 7, turn right at traffic light (towards ferry);

· After town of Charlotte, across railway tracks, 1/2 mile, turn left on Lake Road;

Good news! There is some brand new ice on Lake Champlain. The bad news is, we'll have to wait until Sunday to play on it because it hasn't been verified yet. Some skippers will inquiry/visit Converse Bay, Plattsburg & Valcour. Be sure to return to this page tomorrow evening because we'll have a destination for Sunday.

Our next destination for the up coming week-end is probably Lake Champlain in Vermont or New-York. I'll have an update Friday evening.

Some skippers including myself are planning to attend the World & North American Championships. During that week there will be no ice reports. Anyone wishing to sail shall consider Trenton and Philipsburg or even Lac St-Louis (if we get lots of rain) after the rain on Thursday. As always, don't go alone on the ice, check for hazards, wear your ice pics and use common sense.

All near-by ice is now snowed in, as a result the Canadian Championship is postponed until after the Worlds & NAs.

Three of us sailed Baie Mississquoi off of Philipsburg. The ice was hard and smooth.

The Montreal area received about 5 cm of mixte precipitations that have eliminated the possibility of sailing in the near term.

However, I received two reports today from local sailors of the Baie Mississquoi, that they received rain yesterday as opposed to snow. Previous snow accumulation have melted down leaving the way for possible smooth ice later this week.

The launch site for the tune-up regatta is moved again. We have decided to use the plate at Baie Valois where the ice is smoother.

From Highway 20, exit at Sources south and follow directions for Lakeshore (or Bord du Lac). Make a right turn at T and drive west for a couple of miles to the Venture Sailing Club on your left, shortly after stop sign.

Skippers meeting is at 10h30 a.m. and first race is at 11h00 a.m.. ~~The launch site is now moved further west on Highway 20, exit at Morgan, make a right at the T intersection and drive about 1/2 mile and make a left turn at the Baie D'Urfe Yacht Club.~~

The Montreal Ice Boating Association is tentatively hosting a tune-up regatta on Sunday January 2nd, Monday being the back-up day. First race is scheduled at 11:00. Rules & regulations of IDNIYRA applies. Confirmation will be posted tomorrow @ 01:00 after we take another look at ice following a drop in temperature.

Some skippers sailed Lac St-Louis today when the wind finally came up. The forecast calls for freezing rain overnight and rain tomorrow. This should lay the base for some great week-end sailing.

Access to the plate is now easier as you can launch at Cartier street. Take Cartier exit from highway 20 and drive down to the ramp at the end of the street.

Strong winds Thursday night removed the ice off of Pointe-Claire. The good news is someone walked Baie Valois today and reported it as usable.

We're planning on meeting there between 10 & 11 o'clock tomorrow. Carefully check ice condition before sailing it - Conditions change daily.

The ice in Venise is likely covered with snow drifts as observed at the end of the day Tuesday. Lac St-Louis in Pointe-Claire may be usable tomorrow, as it was frozen Wednesday afternoon.

CAUTION: This new ice has not been checked by anyone to this date. If you decide to go, take the time to drill holes, measure ice thickness and look for cracks open holes etc. If you find hazards, mark them and communicate them to parties joining you.

Weather permitting, we're planning on going back to Baie Mississquoi to approx. 3 sq. miles of perfect black ice, 4 inches thick. This time we'll launch near Venise & Clarenceville, just west of Phillipsburg. Directions from Mtl are:

Take Highway 15 south, exit at Lacolle. Stay on the 202 until past Clarenceville. Turn right onto Middle Road. At the cross roads, continue straight towards the bay (becomes Mc Fee road). Turn right at Chemin du bord du Lac or follow directions for Camping Miller. Once at campsite, park along side of the road and launch from the beach.

Baie Mississquoi is completely frozen and the ice was reported to be smooth. We're meeting tomorrow at 10:00, in Phillipsburg at the pier.

Weather forecast calls for lots of snow overnight and tomorrow morning. Unless precipitations turn into rain we will not be sailing this week-end.

The long term forecast calls for below average temperature in mid week which should create new ice near by.

Some folks sailed the Baie de Vaudreuil in the Lac des deux Montagnes. We were on 3 in of smooth black ice with a nice easterly wind. The patch is approx. 1/4 mile by 1 or 1 1/2 miles.

Before sunset we took a look at another sheet of black ice to the south of highway 40. There too the ice was 3 in thick and a perfect 10 but much larger than the other one. This second sheet is estimated to be at least one mile by 2 miles. To get there, take first exit after the bridge when heading west on highway 40, follow directions to Chateau Vaudreuil. Stay on the road along shore for a couples of miles until Ste-Marguerite street. Turn left at that street to enter park area and launch ramp.

There is no sailable ice again today. We're still monitoring lakes in the Thetford Mines area. We're also monitoring one local bay in Lac des deux Montagnes that froze over yesterday.

There is no sailable ice today. I'll update this page again tomorrow same time as we are looking into another lake in Thetford Mines area.

Ice on Lac Becancour was verified this morning and it is currently not thick enough for safe sailing. With an overnight low of -17C the lake may be ready to take us on Saturday. If ice is not ready Saturday, chances are that it will be on Sunday as the nights are very cold.

This week mild weather combined with heavy rain have damaged the ice at Lac Becancour to a point where it will not be usable for a couple of days.

This last week's weather has improved ice conditions on Lac Becancour. The surface is smoother than last week-end.

Directions from Montreal or Burlington VT: Take the 10 east to Sherbrooke, then onto the 55 north to bypass downtown Sherbrooke.

Take exit for highway 112 towards Thetford Mines. Once in Thetford, about midtown (opposite Kentucky Fried) turn right on St Alphonse st, and go to the end. At T intersection, turn left , then right to follow the signs for Lac Becancour. At the next T, turn left until you see Chemin Cliche, turn right on Cliche. Launch at 521 Cliche.

The 2004 season has started! We got a report there is sailable ice at Lac Becancour near Thetford Mines. Local contacts are Luc Lapierre & Marcel Vallieres phone numbers 418 335-6006, 335-5045 respectively. Happy sailing folks.