[xoxoxoBruce]

Strange rig, water or ice.

“Nat Roe has been granted a patent for an ice and water boat.” Source: The Suffolk County news., August 09, 1907, Page 2. From this, I found the July 7, 1907 U.S. Patent Number 859,693 which states in part the following.
“I have produced a motor propelled ice yacht or scooter adapted to skim over ice and plunge into and across water spaces and air-holes with scarcely diminished speed. As an ice motor yacht it is safety controlled under high speed and affords a lively recreation to pleasure seekers and in the event of it plunging into the water in soft ice or open water leads, it would float the same as a boat and could be gotten out by means of ice hooks used to lift its runners on the ice. ”

Nathaniel Roe (1876 – 1957) owned a steel tape factory in Patchogue, and he had over 70 patents to his name at the time of his death. Steel tape refers to what we call tape measures today. He lived in Patchogue, New York his whole life.
His obituary stated in part the following. “Shortly after the turn of the century the noted inventor designed an ice boat and later set a new speed record of more than 100 miles per hour. This was considered to be the fastest speed ever attained by man up until that date.” … “Mr. Roe was the owner of one of the first cars in this area and also was a prominent figure in bicycle racing circles.” Source: The Patchogue advance., January 17, 1957, Page 7

The patent can be easily viewed on the Google patent website by searching for” nathaniel roe Ice and water boat” in the search box.

I do not believe the boat in the photo above is the one used for the speed record. A much sleeker boat with a bigger engine in shown in the February 10, 1912 issue of Forest and Stream magazine which states the following regarding this boat. “The motor scooter, built by Nat Roe for service on Great South Bay, has made 90 miles an hour, gone over 100 feet of open water and coasted over a mile after power was shut off. She is 20 feet long, 4 feet wide, driven by a 35-horsepower Fiat motor. She is propelled by a spiked wheel fitted in the centerboard trunk.” There is a photo of this boat with the article.

An ad in The New York Dramatic Mirror from April 9, 1910, Page 19, lists a film entitled “Ice Skaters on Lake Ronkonkoma.” The description is, “A series of most exciting pictures of the fastest boat on earth, jumping water holes in the ice at the rate of eighty-five miles per hour. Nat Roe’s motor ice boat, capable of running 120 miles an hour.”
Scientific American went so far to say that the boat could be driven home over snow covered roads in the February 12, 1910 issue.

Methinks there's a lot of hyperbole if not bullshit there.

I can't tell if that's part of the trailer in the last picture or a steering skate for the boat.