"Real" iceboats? Those crazy Dutch...

[Thorne]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3FM1gTTmws

Are these reproductions of older iceboats, or real hulls on iceboat skids and special sails?

[gert]

beautiful, so graceful, not much wind, yet they move so well.

Definitely have an advantage if they hit thin ice :)

[Pernicious Atavist]

Wow....I want!

[Todd Bradshaw]

They're semi-replicas based on the first Dutch iceboats. I don't believe any of them are actually intended to float. With that much sail area and that narrow beam they wouldn't stay up for long.

[StevenBauer]

You must have missed this the first time around: http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91072

I've watched that one quite a few times myself. :)


Steven

[Thorne]

How unlike me -- but iceboats per se don't ring my little chimes, which is probably how I missed it. Had I known they were 18th C reproductions, now...

Speaking of Dutch repro ships, here's a nice video of some 17th C reenactors on board a full size ship -

http://tinyurl.com/bsv958

How's your Dutch? -- you'll need it for the dialog, but the video
quality and overall presentation are very good.

Having camped with the Dutch at Bourtange in 2005, they are very
serious about Living History, but also do a good job of interacting with
the public while in "first person" or "in character".
http://www.luckhardt.com/bourtange/bourtange.html
http://www.luckhardt.com/bourtange/bourtange-Images/1.jpg http://www.luckhardt.com/bourtange/bourtange-Images/0.jpg