Sounds like the perfect place for it!

You just need to get a little trailer axle with light springs. Then put together a long triangular chassis, and install the axel on the wide end.

Replace the tires with skis.

Then you need to make a front ski and some kind a steering mechanism attached to it on the front. (the pointy end)

Then get yourself the sailing rig, (Mast, boom and mainsail,) and mount it on the chassis. Any small rig will do, something larger than a sailboard but not too big. Ideally an unstayed mast would simplify things. If you got a Hobie cat rig then you have to attach the mast stays to the chassis to support the mast. (Better to keep it as simple as possible or the ice will be melted before you get done.)

Better make that an adjustable mount so you can adjust it fore and aft to get the balance right. Too far back and it won't steer, too far forward and it will blow the front ski downwind.

Put a seat over the rear axel, position things so the boom doesn't hit you in the face.

When you take off, wear protective gear. A full face helmet might be a good idea. Once you get the hang of sailing it, you will discover that these things are super fast!

(I thought about building one with wheels for dry lakes. In fact that will probably happen.)

 

Thanks, Bruce. I knowthe "pointy end" is the bow, haha, but the mast, boom etc.are all dutch to me. But I do have a spare small trailer axle laying about, and a few odds and ends from an old speed boat, so I will see what I can scrounge up over the weekend. this might be a project for me too, and it will simplify my trek out to the fishing hole I've got. Got to get a better idea on how to fig up the steering tho..... Don't forget, I'm blonde,lol

 

OK blondie!

You might have so much fun sailing your iceboat that you will forget about fishing!

Is there a marina close to you? You could go and look at small sailboats. Someone could get you up to speed with the sailing rig. Try to stick to those with a mainsail only. If you have more than one sail, you can get more speed but it complicates things a bit. Also, try to keep everything as light a possible.

You might even be able to borrow a rig from a boat that is only used in summer (?)

And remember, don't put it together with old rusty nails. No matter how well you straighten them, they tend to vibrate loose!!!

Someone around your place have a mig welder? Have fun!

 

I just had an idea. Maybe use a small front strut from a rear drive car. (Like a B210 Datsun or something.) Mount it so that the spindle points to the front. Then attach a rod to the little arm that the tie rod normally connects to. Bring the rod back the the driver's position. Then attach it to a lever or a steering wheel.

By using a strut (McPherson strut,) you can have a spring and shock in front too.

 

HaHa, guess you don't know a lot about Fort McMurray, we go to Edmonton for anything we need, and that's about a 4 to 5 hour drive. No, there are no marina's here, nor is there anywhere to even buy marine items, or rv products, this is "oilsands country". but I do have a friend with a mig welder and other welders who have everything. All the boats here on the lake are in storage, and they are all speed boats, no sailboats here. But lots of Newfies, so someone should be able to help mefigure it out, lol

 

I like that idea!!! We do have 2 autowreckers here, ( a bit on the pricey side), so I should be able to get the right parts, also have a friend from PEI, where they have these iceboat races every winter.

Question, what do you do if the winds quits while you are way out across the lake?

 

http://www.wingsystems.com/Images/DinghyCarbSail02.jpg

 

ok, kinda what I had pictured in my mind. this coud take some doing on my part....

 

If they have iceboat races, see if you can find one of the participants who will let you look at their boat! Might learn a lot from that experience.

The nice thing about an iceboat is that the take so little wind to make them go that you would have to have a dead calm to stop you. But with very light winds it does become difficult to sail upwind. If you have 8 or 10 knots of wind, you can "tack," or zig zag into the wind. If the wind is behind you, it's obvious what to do.

The winds are usually predictable to some degree. On lakes, if there are no storms on the radar, you can usually count on a breeze as soon as the sun is well up and it dies down as dusk approaches. Which is good, because iceboats go fast so you won't want to be sailing after dark anyway!

But the real answer to your question, when the wind dies, you wait....................... or you walk. But as you learn how the wind blows on your lake, you will be able to avoid that situation for the most part.

 

I can tell you are a sailor. Up here the wind picks up at dusk, don't ask me why, but the wind chimesgoe crazyabout 7 pm and then are nice and calm in th afternoon, (time to fish). Guess I could always rig up some kind of battey with lights, that way I won't get runover by all skidoos running all night long.

I haven't seen an ice boat up here in the 5 yrs I've lived here. Most of the Eastern guys come here to just work, and stay in camps, doing the 21 on and then 7 off, when they fly home for a week. but I will check with some that I know and see if I can get a hand. This sounds like alot of fun.

 

When I was mentioning the front strut, I was envisioning your skate blade, or ski, would be attached parallel to the spindle. One bolt so that it can swivel up and down a little.

 

What kind of work are those guys doing? Can I get a job? Recommend me to someone who hires me and I could help you build your iceboat.

PS I'm good at fabricating things.... electric, mechanical...

 

That's not quite what I was thinking when you said you were good at fabricating!!!

 

Laurie, I just made mine out of wood and a few pices of steel. I bought the plans for $15 for a buddy and me. He hasn't started his yet. Ice Boat Plans
I like it 'cause it's nice, simple, light, and fiarly cheap. Cost me about $125 so far. If something breaks, I can just go to the lumber store and replace it. I'll try to get the wife to email me some pics so I can post them.

 

Cool pics, that's about a simple as you could make it.

I don't think that a single 2x4 would be a reliable rear axel for two people!