LB2000.52.1058

LB2000.52.1058

Winter scene of the Eastern Steamship Wharf on the Belfast waterfront: The bay is frozen in ice. The pylons which support the wharf are heavily sheathed in ice. Note the horse and sleigh and two dogs, and three ice boats in front of the Eastern Steamship wharf. The steamer GOLDEN ROD can be seen on the far side of the wharf just to the left of the building It is very possible that the sleigh belongs to Charles Coombs and the occupant, his wife, Helena. ICE BOAT An ice boat is a boat or purpose-built framework similar in functional design to a sail boat but fitted with skis or runners (skates) and designed to run over ice instead of through (liquid) water. Ice yachting is the sport of sailing and racing iceboats. Sail-able ice is known in the sport as "hard water" versus sailing on liquid or "soft" water. Iceboats commonly used for racing are usually only for one person, but several classes of two-seat and multiple-seat iceboats are more or less common. On some boats, a "side car" can be fitted to take others along for a ride. HISTORY Traditional iceboats from before the late 19th century were used for transportation of goods and racing. These boats reached lengths of 30 to 50 feet and were sometimes transported between sites on rail cars. Ice sailing was first developed in Europe. In America, it was done in several locations where the sport also continues today. The first iceboat in America is attributed to Oliver Booth in 1790 at Poughkeepsie, NY. This craft was a small triangular box with two runners affixed to the front and a steering runner at the rear. The first iceboats were adaptations of regular sailing boats, with a wooden plank fastened cross-wise at the front having a fixed runner at each end, and a steering runner attached to the bottom of the rudder at the stern. These early ice sailing vessels led to the development of boats designed strictly for racing on ice. These "stern-steerer" iceboats were generally rigged as sloops, with a jib sail forward of the mast, although the catboat style with a single sail was also used.