The ice is still thick, but very fragile. Just the weight of my boathook will push through the ice, which is still 4-5 inches thick.
A good northwest breeze perked up after 6PM, as JDeere pointed out, but dropped near sundown as suddenly as it came up.
The wind has been flukey all day, and the ice floes moved back and forth. A small outboard putted around, later joined by a kayaker (bad idea).
The ice opens-up water channels (and closes up the same channels) at the wind's whim. While an outboard has the power to get through the "chunky" margins, a kayaker can't "pole" his way through, (the ice is too weak) or paddle (the ice has too much resistance to the paddle and the hull). He also just can't get out and walk on the ice, either.
Better to wait until next weekend.
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