Ice Boating on Eel Pond is a family affair

Tradition goes back 50 years; these boats can travel up to 55 mph

John Clifford

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EDITOR'S NOTE: On a bright, sunny but cold day in February several enthusiastic ice boaters could be seen enjoying their sport on Eel Pond. They had a small but enthusiastic audience and a good afternoon. One of those people was John Clifford, who knows a bit about ice boating as he's been doing it for years. We asked him about it, and below is what he had to say.

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For 50 years our family has sailed iceboats on Eel Pond in Rye Beach. When the wind is 10 mph or more and the ice is thick and snowless, the pond’s one-half mile length provides a perfect area for local iceboating.

We started building boats of our own design, but, after several structural failures, my father, Jim Clifford, built our first DN Class iceboat. This design was a winner of a national contest sponsored by the Detroit News for the best one-man boat design. We were so pleased with its speed and durability that Dad built two more. These boats will travel up to 55 mph on an open lake and about 40 mph on Eel Pond.


 
Our boats have now been used by three generations with few mishaps. We’ve replaced some parts over the years, but the Dacron sails are original. We were joined by our friend and Rye resident Jeff Knapp 30 years ago and have been racing ever since. He has built many DN Class boats, and his newest boats are of the latest composite materials and are things of beauty.

Plans for these boats are online. Material and sail costs will be about $1,800 today. A new, ready-to-sail boat can cost up to $6,000. Sailing on ice is similar to wet-water sailing except one goes much faster and there is no way to stop — experience helps! There is a New England Ice Yachting Association neiya.us,which has information on events, boat parts, and sales.








March, 2009

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