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Well if it isn't weed that tries to stop our sailing it's the ice!   Not too chilly today but the lake has frozen earlier and the sun isnt getting high enough to melt it, in front of the boat house and Port St Helens are solid the only area we could launch was over by the Club 500 course and even there the ice was close.   Still I turned up around 9am to find Darius already there and sailing his tug "Wyeforce", more members started to gather but only 4 boats found it into the water.. Darius' tug, Jim's airboat and my Huntsman.

All went well, for a bit, until I let the Huntsman get nose in to the ice... no problem full deflection of rudder and a bit of power should spin it round shouldn't it?  No it didn't, she simply popped out of the water like a penguin on one of those wildlife documentries and slither a foot or two onto top of ice.

Now I quite like this picture, the reflection looks great LOL.   But how am I supposed to get my boat back, the rest of members around thought this was most amusing, no way was i venturing onto ice nor was I going for a paddle.   Dusty came to the rescue with his trusty tennis ball on a rope and set to throwing it at the Huntsman, he found it quite surprising at first that the tennis ball would bounce on ice, odd that Dusty ;).    Anyhow after a few tries by Darius, Dusty and myself, Dusty finally managed to get the ball across the bow and when I pulled the Huntsman slid back into water.

Shortly after we all retreated into the warmth of the Boat House Cafe for coffee and toast and wouldn't you know it the Hon Sec finally turned up (11am).

Rich