Cold snap brings rare return of iceboats to tidal estuary at the Jersey Shore

RED BANK, N.J. (WPVI) — The deep freeze along the Jersey Shore is reviving a rare winter tradition.

The snap of sails and scrape of blades filled the air as ice boats glided back on the ice along the frozen Navesink River in Red Bank, Monmouth County.

With several inches of ice covering the tidal estuary leading to the Atlantic Ocean, members of the North Shrewsbury Ice Boat and Yacht Club took full advantage.

The club, which dates back to the 19th century, has struggled to host races in recent years as warmer winters made ice boating increasingly rare, making the return to the ice this year all the more special.