by Shannon Butler
Do you ever head outside for a walk this time of the year and think to yourself, “Why do I live someplace where the air hurts my face?” You just want to quickly head back inside, live like a bear, and hibernate under some blankets until spring. The past few days have certainly given us some chills, but that’s all part of living in the Hudson Valley (and we still have February and March to get through). However, this time of year, when the snow piles up and bodies of water freeze over, some people get super excited at the notion of going outside and being sporty.
One of the top winter sports in the 1800s (particularly if you were wealthy) was the fast-paced world of ice yachting. If you have never seen it before, just picture the top part of a sailboat (mast, mainsail, and jib), remove the bottom part (the hull), and replace it with a slab of wood on some ice skates (there are probably more technical terms for this, but you get it). Here in Dutchess County, there were several clubs dedicated to the idea of getting out on the ice and catching a good wind to go gliding down the side of the river at speeds as high as 60-70 mph. They were even known for racing the trains, which of course in the 19th century were not as fast as trains today. With all of that speed and no proper breaks to speak of, ice yachting could be a treacherous sport. The boats that were seen on the Hudson were known as “Stern Steerers,” meaning they were steering from port to starboard (left to right) using a tiller on the stern (back) of the boat, which was quite challenging when dealing with harsh winds.
To add to the danger factor, there was also the possibility that, in the midst of flying along at the speed of wind, you could hit a patch of thin ice and go crashing into the blood-chilling waters of the Hudson. For example, Col. Archibald Rogers and his wife from Hyde Park were sailing their yacht “The Ariel” in February of 1903 when the ice broke on all sides, sending them into the cold waters. Mrs. Rogers was wearing heavy furs in order to stay warm, but this only weighed her down. Luckily, Mr. Rogers was an excellent swimmer and was able to help her hold onto the side of the yacht until another ice yacht sailed to their rescue.
The big races attracted owners from all over the Hudson Valley and inspired local craftsmen to improve on the boats when it came to building them bigger and faster. Jacob and George Buckout, a father and son team from right here in Poughkeepsie, were famous for building boats that won several of the Ice Yacht Challenge Pennants. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s uncle, John A. Roosevelt, commissioned Jacob Buckout to build him a boat called “Icicle,” which won several races in the 1890s. He also had two other boats, “Kriss” and “Vixen” (which was built by brothers Charles and William Merritt of Carthage Landing). Col. Archibald Rogers was so impressed that he also had a boat built by Buckout, “Jack Frost” (Rogers’ first boat, also named “Jack Frost,” had been wrecked during the winter of 1886). Of course, FDR had an ice yacht of his own, which was a gift from his mother in 1901. He named it “Hawk” and it was built by George Buckout. Many of these old ice boats have been restored and are still sailing today, while others belong to museums like the Hudson River Maritime Museum and the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site.
Watch this video from 2014 of the old (some of them over 100 years old) and new Ice Yachts sailing on the Hudson.
References:
“Iceboating on the Hudson River” by Ramond A. Ruge, NAHO Vol. 7, No 3 Fall 1974
Hyde Park Ice Yacht Club booklet, LH 796.97 M
Poughkeepsie Eagle News – 11 Feb 1903
Images:
01 – A fleet of Ice yachts on the Hudson – LH Collections
02 – Headline from the Poughkeepsie Eagle News concerning the Rogers family ice yacht incident – 11 Feb 1903
03 – Print of the victory of the Ice yachts “Zephyr” and “Icicle” in a race against the Chicago Express Train from New York near Poughkeepsie
04 – The ice yacht “Flash” – LH Collections
05 – A list of races, boats, owners, and figures, Hyde Park Ice Yacht club booklet – LH Collections
