Kustomcut

Not seen Clarrie about last week or so I stayed over up there after partaking in a few to many thatchers with all meaning to finish preparations for the challenge such as polishing my planing hull and super tuning the outboard. I did manage to fit a curtain rail however on the Saturday am when I woke with a fuzzy head and thought the best I could do was to treat myself to a breakfast at the Wharf and a few more beers, come 4pm I was fine.

Just so I don't reply to the wrong person, no quoting here, but seriously anyone needing help on the Stratford Canal this weekend I may be able to help as I am up the boat doing pre décor(which should take all of 10 mins on a 20ft boat), I am then heading up to Brum either Thursday or Friday am before the challenge so any who may be doing the easy part of thr Upper Startford Canal let me know we can have a mini convoy and stop at a few of the pubs on the way...........

Head through the 2 lift bridges then stow the windlass till Brum. You have the Wharf at Hocley heath just after swallow cruisers, then the Bluebell (nice cider house could moor there for a week), then Lady lane wharf, I am there currently in my little cruiser (what we are doing the challenge in), I will be about the weekend may head down to see you if you hanging round the area a whilst, my daughter works in the bluebell so there and back every weekend.

I normally moor on my overnight forays by the NIA and have a few bevvies in the Malt House, will look out for you.

Who might be about on the Friday 23rd May in Deep Cuttings area? I will be taking the boat up that way whilst heading to our start point, will say hi to anyone about. If not im sure a lot of hollering will be taking place throughout the 2 days, and plenty of good hearted fun on the Sunday afternoon.

Ok so if I drink the beer then fill the emptys with water I will be even heavier...... How many beers could I fit in for the 6 hour break me thinks, maybe alter my stopping point so I am at a good place. Start at Salford Junction quick rush up Aston and Farmers bridge then have a much needed 6 hour break eh.......

And of course a beer/wine opener pourer. Thinking aloud here if those who may be tight in Gosty tunnel, used huge amounts of canned/bottled drink preferably alcoholic as I think it weighs more than non alcoholic, as ballast. Then the crew drank the mentioned cans/bottles, made sure any toilet breaks were on board, would the boat have the same amount of ballast if you drank say 50 % of the beverage ballast or maybe even 100% of the beverage ballast? Myth Busters time.......I would partake purely as a scientific experiment no other reason.

Morning all, I must say I need to unsubscribe to this thread, 80% of my work time is spent looking at the newest post made and rethinking strategy. Rather than actually working We have well and truly got the bug for this, the Fund Raising is going ok to, I am holding out that we will reach the target but we shall see. I wanted to try to head to city centre this weekend for a little cruise but the weather is looking pretty scatty so may give it a miss and spend the time painting go faster stripes down the sides of our little 20ft cruiser. I think we have our journey planned but I am sure we may change slightly on the day. If we don't see anyone between now and the finish good luck all and hopefully will see and meet many new faces on the weekend of the challenge, I am however going to get some bunting so I am visible to all (although i am the smallest boat taking part I think this year) so we have a class all of our own. I am also going to try to make some small brass plaques to hand out on our cnc machine any design anyone can come up with let me know, I can then hand these out at the end to all who participate. Drop me a line if you have any ideas for a design, I know we all get one for taking part anyhow but as I have the facilities I thought why not. Maybe a pair of crossed windlasses? http://www.kustom-cut.co.uk

Thanks for the clarification, I must say the graphical tool is absolutely great I feel unworthy of loading my excel sheet lol

Here is our rather Mudane looking calculator, based on a 3 man crew it works out from the boat length, and give average timings, you then type in the name of the stage start followed by the stage end and it calculates points/locks/time plus goes red in the speed if you were to acidentaly have a speed over 4mph etc. It also has a seperat page that lists all the junctions as per this years list and the cross points. So from Salford junction your next point could be Aston, Rushall or Proofhouse (Typhoo). Have a look and feel free to utilise I will try to add a box for multiple crews so it works out the lock bonus etc. One thing I meant to ask, if you pick up a bonus point on a set stage, is this added to the miles/lock points then you multiply by the bonus factor or is it point that gets added on after the bonus factor. For example 70 ft boat gets 2 points per mile. Travel from Rushall (Newton) Junction to Salford Junction Total of 5 Miles + 13 Locks with a bonus factor of 2, Normally that would be 23 points with 2 x bonus (46 points), if a bonus point was collected enroute say for 1 point would it then be 24 points x 2 bonus or the 46 points plus 1 bonus point? Anyhow work in progress on the file is here, feel free to use and if needed update to suit crew size etc. My email if you need help is foiltec@blueyonder.co.uk File is here https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=6E8B56387BC863B5!1763&authkey=!AP4lUrKd_TK_acA&ithint=file%2c.xlsx Hopefully you can access from there

So as a few may be aware we were trying to make the challenge a little more by raising money for CRT, using Just Giving website. So far not bad up to approx. £110 with £40 of that from a contact I have in my job in Mauritius, he thinks its a great idea so happy it is slowly bringing something in. Anyhow on top of that I have a few work suppliers in the UK who are trying to set me extra challenges and they will pledge a little more. I have drawn the line however at doing the Farmers Bridge flight then slowly parading round Broad Street wearing nothing but womens undergarments, although I would be ok doing that for a large donation, I would more than likely be arrested and kicked off the challenge. Hope everyone's plans are underway for good starting points and looking forward to the "small amount of drinking" that will await us at the end. I have had to repeatedly change my route so I end up no where near a pub/bar/anywhere that sells beer wen we take our 6 hour break. On a downside I wanted to take the boat out for a repaint, been GRP it needs the previous owners hull paint removing the hull /gel coat roughing up then repainting so anyone know who,what where offers this service? Then again I will scratch it up going through Gosty Tunnel

So far our starting point is not one of the designated, bonus point starts, but it does in my view put me in a good situation to explore areas I have never been and not do much doubling back. I do however need to be back from the finish point to Lady Lane wharf on Monday as we fly out on family vacation to Spain on Tuesday 27th at 7am

Maybe I better polish our planing hull, and service the outboard

We are still computer programming for the best route for us that is also including 73 miles travel Ha they far from fit teenagers I will just ply them with false promises

Well I don't think we will hit the £2500 mark, we are attempting to raise for C&RT, not all will deem it a worty charity but if I can make a few pounds for it then I feel I have contributed. Our just giving page is here http://www.justgiving.com/BCN-Challenge or people can donate via text which is pretty good. all they need to do is send BCNS60 £2 (or whatever amount they want to donate) to 70070. Now I just need to break it to my crew (2 daughters 17 and 15) that the first day could involve 62 locks

Thanks for the heads up re the scoring my computer calculation machine is now setup ready to punch in every possible route. Wonder if I am taking this a little to serious.....

Ok strategy well and truly underway now. Just need clarification on a few things. Mileage points. 20ft boat = 20/35 = 0.57 points per mile, will it be 0.57 or does it round up or down say to 0.5 or even 6? Secondly the bonus factor in the areas on the list, are these just additional point added to the mileage and lock pints or is it a multiplier. For example Lets say I am in a 35ft boat so 1 lock Is 1 point and 1 mile is also 1 point I do the stretch Catshill junction - Rushall junction, this is 8 miles and 9 locks. Would my points be 8+9 = 17 the bonus factor is 2 so is this a multiply of 17 or add to 17? Thanks In advance.

Yes thought as much, well time to map shop in the mean time we did a just giving page see if we can raise a few quid for the CRT

Pack come through and quickly put the sealed envelope in the safe, however what map is best to go with this, is there a map in the log envelope itself? I am strategizing on how we can get a decent score, more locks and bonus points I think than actually mileage, if I read right Length of boat divide by 35 is our points per mile? so on a 20ft Dandy I get 0.57 points per mile. Also slightly off the Marathon itself if we decided to try to use our personal efforts to raise money for a charity would that seem bad? hinking of setting up a just giving page and raising money for CRT unless BCN has its own charity?

Maybe if we did 24 hours straight got to the Basin at 8am Sunday then had a 6 hour break

Aha, well last Saturday was a vague recollection for me. The day went something like this...... Up at stupid o clock at home usual Sat am chores shopping etc, I then begged the wife to drop me at the boat as I had loads I wanted to do, installing some new drawers etc. Being the nice husband I am and not wanting my wife to have to walk all the way up the feeder arm, loaded with goodies to make my overnight stay more pleasurable, I had the idea to dash up to the boat, strip off the canopy, whizz down the feeder arm and moor up next to Marks boat so it would be easier to load up rather than the long walk. She then promptly left with the cash bribe I had given her (well I did need a lift to the boat) to do what women do best and spend the previously mentioned cash bribe. I decided it would be rude to not pop into the wharf at 10am and say hi to all, and check that the Thatchers was up to it's usual drinking standard. This is where it starts to get a little fuzzy, unfortunately for me people arrived to fill the boats with water and I was trapped with no way of getting back up the feeder arm, im sure the one boat was there for at least 4 hours (that's what I told the wife they were actually about half an hour) as that's when I decided I should maybe get some fresh air and take a slow cruise. This I did opening a bottle of beer and slowly at tick over enjoyed the sun all the way to the Bluebell, the concentration that took was exhausting so I decided maybe I needed a cold drink and a toilet break. Moor up towpath side headed up to the Bluebell, where I bump into Alan the manager, this makes it rude for me to think about leaving as we had so much to catch up on. I then stayed there for a short whilst till about 5pm and my daughter rings to say she is at Lady Lane with a friend, and can I pick her up as mom (the wife) is going to meet us at the Bluebell for something to eat about 6, and that dad (me) must be very hungry and thirsty after working on the boat since 10am. Been the doting parent I am I headed back to Lady Lane picked her and a friend up then turned round and went back to the Bluebell, this time mooring on the spare slot on the pub side. Shoot up to the bar, well maybe stumble, and get a seat half hour before the wife arrives, she then asks how much did you get done? my response was something along the lines of "Who want's a drink". I then proceeded to order the biggest mixed grill I have ever had and tried unsuccessfully to eat it all. Now my mind goes blank Until 3am I wake feeling a little groggy wondering where I am, all the curtains are open and I see a basic silhouette of a bride from the front window, more importantly I drank so little the last day that I am really dangerously dehydrated, I fumble around for the emergency bottle of water I keep for time like these and take a good 1/2 litre slug from the bottle, hmm that actually tasted like Pinot Grigo, ahhh that's because it is. Deciding I really should turn on a light and find the water I sheepishly put the wine away and drink the 2 litres of water then refill from the tap. Few more hours kip with the curtains and door still wide open and I awake to realise the bridge is actually the one at the back of the Bluebell and I am still where I failed to eat my huge mixed grill. Not one to shy from a challenge I fire up the boat about 8am and trundle back to lady lane, I think I might have even given a wave on the way back up the feeder arm, but for some reason much of that is still hazy. I then proceeded to fit the drawers I meant to fit on the Saturday and met the wife and kids for lunch at the Wharf. So that is why I wasn't in your video. I will however be about Saturday doing some more "work" if you see me pop and say hi.

Hi Clarrie, yes we are right up the top of the arm past your boat, the last cruiser in the line. In you video about 50 seconds in you see a wheelbarrow and some gas bottles, that is us, when did you shoot that was it last weekend? If so I can easily explain my absence from the mooring.

Hello all I'm the newest person to take part in the challenge this year and also the strange individual in the 20ft grp a Dawncraft dandy to be exact previously called Sully . I have owned the boat for a year and half and love it,we spent a lot of time travelling from lady lane wharf to gas street for overnight stops last year, and we also did lady lane to goldstone wharf the long way via Dudley as the Wolverhampton flight was closed last year, Our boat has just been renamed Carpe Vinum and looking forward to this challenge, although we are aware that the system makes it nigh on impossible to win but we looking to have a great laugh me and hopefully my 2 daughters . Maybe see some if you before the event I have just spent the last hour or so reading all the topic so feel adequately updated.