Minnesota mastermind Pat Heppert slapped the ACME seal of approval on his latest build, a Mini-Skeeter, a boat that does double duty for land or ice. Pat has created a new blocking system and is anxious to try it on the ice. I suspect we’ll see MINI DRIFTER the first week of December at the Minnesota Western Challenge.
“[The blocking system ] worked well and didn’t break or bend, so rework is unnecessary. Putting the ratchet block between my feet was definitely a good call. You should be able to keep your arms under the deck at all times without difficulty.” Previous ACME Lab posts: Getting Framed Still Somewhat Confused
PREVIOUS: From Skeeter Iceboat to Sunfish Dinghy
Dan Heaney has made steady progress with his Alcort Skeeter restoration project in Neenah, WI. As some of you may remember from a previous post, it’s worth noting that the Alcort Company of Connecticut, which initially gained fame for developing the Sunfish, has roots in iceboat manufacturing.
Via Dan Heaney:
The boat is a work in progress as it required some repair and tender loving care. I hope to have it on the ice this winter. A photo shows the remains of the original “Alcort” identifying decal. The decal is located above the steering wheel. The boat has a 75 SqFt sail.
I completed the following work:
New Deck
New Bottom
Added a Springboard
Adding foot steering
Bill Mattison Archives Jack Ripp Archives
Two highly respected Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club members, Bill Mattison and Jack Ripp, defined our club motto as “Home of the Champions.” They not only shared a passion for building and sailing iceboats, they were born six days apart in August 95 years ago. (Bill beat Jack in that race!)
Be it resolved that August 11-17 is an official holiday to celebrate the lives and accomplishments of Bill Mattison and Jack Ripp during their birthday week.
Jack, Bill, and Paul Krueger are seen here with buckets of Gougeon epoxy to build a new hull for the world’s largest iceboat, the DEUCE, back in 2005. Note Bill’s shirt from the 1992 America’s Cup victory, where he helped make the boat go faster.
Read about “A New Hull for the DEUCE” here.
Recently, Tim Bellerd from Wayfarer Boatworks in Ferrysburg, Michigan, organized an open house event where he showcased his Renegade boat. The windy weather kept the sail from being raised. If you are in the western Michigan area and are interested in building or repairing an iceboat, contact Tim.
Nite sailors Daniel Hearn, Dave Navin, and Nite Commodore Maureen Bohleber gathered at 4LIYC Renegader Damien Luyet’s shop last Friday to kick off a ten-mast build. Under the watchful eye of Jerry Simon, they spent the day using a table saw, bandsaw, and planer to shape Sitka Spruce boards into mast blanks. Brad Wagner, Jim Lafortune, and Don Anderson dropped in to check on the process of making sawdust. The mast blanks are now at Daniel Hearn’s shop for the next steps of routing for the mast track and production of metal components.
