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Ice boaters sail down frosty Hudson River

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By Melanie Lekocevic

Capital Region Independent Media

The Hudson River saw plenty of activity at Sunday’s ice boating event, and the Athens Boat Launch was packed. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

ATHENS — With temperatures hovering around freezing, it’s a great time to head out on the water, right?

That’s what dozens of ice boaters thought as they geared up and hauled their specially equipped ice boats onto the Hudson River on Jan. 26, beginning at the Athens Boat Launch.

Ice boating is a winter sport that involves sailing on ice in a modified sailboat. The vessel is equipped with metal runners, which look like overgrown ice skates, that enable the boat to glide across the ice. Like a regular sailboat, it has a canvas sail and can be steered by the boater.

“It’s a great sport,” said Bart Jenkins, who traveled from New Jersey to watch his friend participate. “The boats go really fast and it’s fun to watch.”

Ice boats can reach high speeds that can potentially be dangerous, according to iceboat.org.

“However, learning to properly sail an ice boat, sailing by the established right-of-way rules, always using common sense, properly maintaining the equipment, and staying off the lake during unsafe conditions can go a long way towards making ice boating a safe sport,” according to the organization.

Ice boaters prepared their vessels to glide across the river. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

Ice boats can reach speeds of up to five times the speed of the wind due to the low friction between the vessel’s runners and the ice, as well as the sail’s shape.

“The sail acts more like a vertical wing rather than a sail,” according to the website.

In fact, depending on the type of ice boat and its structure, some can reach speeds over 100 mph.

With the icy cold temperatures in Greene County in recent weeks, the ice was thick enough to support dozens of ice boats, along with participants and spectators that headed out onto the ice to check it out.

The parking lot at the Athens Boat Launch, in fact, was jam packed. A ramp from the parking lot into the river accommodated anyone who braved the cold and wanted to walk on the Hudson River.

A number of dogs could also be spotted checking out the activities.

Boaters and spectators alike walked on the icy Hudson River for a gathering of ice boaters last Sunday. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media

Ice boating happens periodically on the Hudson River and has taken place in Athens in recent years, but not for some time, at least not in such large numbers.

“I wanted to check it out,” said Ruth Simpson. “I happened to be driving by and saw all the cars in the lot and stopped to see what was going on. I’ve never seen ice boating before — it was interesting to watch.”

Ice boating got its start on the Hudson River in the 1790s, and by the mid-19th century, the river was the center of the iceboating trend, according to the Hudson River Maritime Museum. The sport saw another surge of popularity at the turn of the 20th century, according to the organization’s website.

Ice boating first came to the Hudson River in the 1790s, and has seen spurts of popularity since that time. Melanie Lekocevic/Capital Region Independent Media
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