FROSTY: Coming to a Lake Near You

by | Oct 21, 2019 | 2019-2020, Home Page


 Jay Yaeso’s shop, the Area 51 of iceboat building, reveals his latest stealth project:

Something new out of the Suamico Skunk Works…
I have been so envious of Andy Gratton and Mike Kroll and their miles and miles of winter sailing. We decided to join them!
FROSTY… the Iceboat, is a “C” class rear steerer powered with a massive Skeeter wing spare. The remainder of the platform has been donated by the world famous ice yachter, Bob Kau!


Cover Girl: The MICHIGANDER

by | May 20, 2019 | 2018-2019, Home Page, WSSA

MICHIGANDER on Pewaukee Lake for the 2018 Wisconsin Stern Steerers Association championship.

The biannual magazine from the makers of  “what holds us together”, Gougeon’s (West Systems) Epoxy Works, highlights one of the finest Class A stern-steerers ever crafted, Eric Sawyer’s MICHIGANDER. Get a free print or digital subscription to the magazine here.

TRUDLE II: Story Behind a Photo

by | Apr 16, 2018 | 2017-2018, Home Page, WSSA

Lake Winnebago Stern-Steerer sailor, Dave Lallier, posted this eye catching photo on the 4LIYC Facebook page this morning.
A little research indicates that TRUDLE II was owned by Ernst von Lengerke of New Jersey who served as Commodore of the Musconetcong Ice Yacht Club. He received credit in Frederic Gardiner’s book, “Wings on Ice”, as an invaluable source of information about the sport. The boat is also mentioned in a 1940 New Jersey Register article about a successful iceboat regatta held at Red Banks. If you want to dig deeper, one of the Google search results led me back to this website in the form of an article written in 1947 by Ray Ruge that references TRUDLE III.
UPDATE April 18, 2018: Nels Lybeck posts the following on Facebook: “The Trudle III is currently in the care and hands of myself and Doug MacFarland (ex DN US 2500) here in Red Bank and has been restored with a new sail to fit her Duralum (before aluminum) Marconi rig. We received it from Ernst Von Lengerke’s daughter before she died a few years ago.”

Red Bank Register 1940 2
New Jersey Register, Jan 11, 1940
Red Bank Register 1940 1
New Jersey Register, Jan 11, 1940

The High Miles Club

by | Mar 25, 2018 | 2017-2018, Home Page, WSSA

Andy Gratton Mike Kroll with the stern steerers ROSEMARY II and WISCONSIN at Menominee, Michigan

Not only was maximum fun achieved by all who responded to the invitation to sail at Menominee on Saturday, stern-steerer addicts Andy Gratton and Mike Kroll marked 1000 miles of sailing this season. That’s the equivalent of sailing to Toronto and back.or a one-way trip to Augusta, Maine! Nine Nites and Illinois DNer Tim Dixon joined the fun on the bay.
Nite sailor John Hayashi reports from Facebook: “It was an old time club sailing weekend at its finest. It brought out the crowds to the downtown, cars were parked everywhere, the grill was going what more could you ask for. There are a lot of people talking about iceboating again in that town. I will not be amazed if some more boats show up sailing up there next season.”
Photos: John Hayashi