Lake Michigan Ice Boats Lecture

 Skating Through History at the Michigan Maritime Museum Lecture Series
 
Do you think boating is only an activity for the summer? Think again!  What if you were told there are boats that are designed to run through ice instead of liquid water? It is true!  Long before the water gets hard, most boaters place their vessels under cover.  Not all.  Some continue to observe a desolate, frozen expanse of ice and blowing snow through goggles, illuminated by a fading winter’s light.
 
The Michigan Maritime Museum will be presenting lecturer Dave Campbell, a Wisconsin native, speaking on the subject of ice boating.  Dave, a member of the Museum and crew aboard Bernida, its famed R Class racing sloop, will focus upon an unusual vessel found amidst the Museum’s collection; “Windchill,” a 1940’s Meade iceboat, currently being restored and intended to once again sail, courtesy of museum volunteers.  Dave’s multi-media presentation will feature footage from decades past, as well as the history and development of skates scraping atop ice at incredible speeds.
 
Iceboating is an often ignored part of Michigan’s Maritime history.  But through long winter days, hearty souls investing modestly in vessels comprised of little more than a couple of planks on skates, populate our inland lakes and rivers.  They typically bundle themselves to unrecognizable and are observed as mere blurs to those on shore as they pass by with breathtaking speed, risking more than the typical sailor, all to shed cabin fever.
 
Jim Spurr and Dave Campbell will be speaking on the Michigan Maritime Museum Campus January 23rd from 12-1pm. Join the Michigan Maritime Museum for what is certain to be an excellent lecture. 
 
Admission is $8 for adults and $7 for seniors.  There is no admission fee for Museum members. Light refreshments will be provided. Become a member and attend each additional lecture at no cost. It is the perfect time to become a member!