TeamBiscuits - NB Good Times - Virtuous BCNS 42hr Snickers Challenge Crew Slog

[cheshire~rose]

Yes we got one of those too

 

I feel bad for the BCNS because they would usually be benefitting from the entry fees for the real BCN Challenge and then those who enter get automatic membership for the year (hence you are bing asked to renew this year)

 

I do hope those who would have entered this year are in a place finacially where they can pop a donation to them. I can't see anywhere on their website that you can make an online donation or I would share it. I might make enquiries because it is a shame if they can't benefit financially from all the teams hard work, even if it is just a little bit

[TheBiscuits]

Right, here is our challenge entry.

 

This is a double entry brought to you by a three-year-old who eats wax crayons and a qualified designer with years of experience in the design and print industries.

 

Bonus points if you can guess which entry was BobBiscuits and which entry was MrsBiscuits.

 

Entry #1:  This exclusive design cost a whole roll of toilet paper, so gets extra mention for using up such a rare commodity in manufacturing it.

 

 

 

Entry #2: Taking great inspiration from Big Bird from Sesame Street and the guitarist from Queen, we proudly present our main entry in the drag queen stakes:

 

Bryan T May - not sponsored in any way by Swan Vestas.

 

 

And as a real tribute to Queen, here swan short video from a recent appearance.

 

[TheBiscuits]

Oh drat. Nearly forgot my Captain Slog.

 

Just in case I run out of time, here is the Executive Summary.

 

Some idiots have reopened all these extra lock flights, but nobody seems to have thought to increase the water supply to the Wolverhampton level!

 

This is the picture of the mooring we have been stuck on all bleedin' day. 

 

 

 

So once again a grand total of 0 miles, 0 locks, 0 bonus, 0 points.  

 

We are still at the Junction with Bradley Old Loop on the Wednesbury Oak Loop.

 

CRT are bringing in a rescue crane tomorrow, so hopefully we can start making some real progress then.

 

 

[TheBiscuits]

21 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

  

 

"No fees" she said.  Lies!  Fibs!  Porky pies!

 

This arrived in the post yesterday, on Day 1 of the challenge.

 

 

Does our next enquiry have to be against an organiser?

 

Is this more deceit or is this Stewards' Enquiry #5: Cash for Questions

 

Right, enquiry it is.

 

This morning I received yet another demand for money:

 

 

 

So it's allegedly nothing to do with @cheshire~rose but during the three days this challenge has been running I have received demands for cash from the Birmingham Canal Navigations Society and the Chesterfield Canal Trust.

 

This will need investigating more thoroughly.

 

 

[cheshire~rose]

Can't wait to see what arrives tomorrow!

[TheBiscuits]

2 minutes ago, cheshire~rose said:

Can't wait to see what arrives tomorrow!

 

If it's a delivery of pot noodles you are going to be in so much trouble!

[Dr Bob]

1 hour ago, cheshire~rose said:

Can't wait to see what arrives tomorrow!

What was on second, wasnt he?

[rusty69]

19 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

Bonus points if you can guess which entry was BobBiscuits and which entry was MrsBiscuits

I see no guesses. Is it a mute Swan or a moot swan? 

Edited May 6, 2020 by rusty69

[Dr Bob]

3 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

I see no guesses. Is it a mute Swan or a moot swan? 

I thought it looked more like a Whooper Swan. The colour you know, very fine colour on those birds. I was one of the ones who spotted that color first, you know.

[TheBiscuits]

Day #3 Challenge : The bladeful of nightmares.

 

 

Challenges don't always have to be challenging.

 

Having been locked down for as long as the local recycling centre / tip has been shut, we seem to have found an impressive pile of carp* lying around.

 

The photo above was only slightly staged for the challenge - I added only four items - including the boat sandpit - to a pile we already had queued up for the trailer!

 

Recipe for a bladeful from hell:

 

Coal bags, bin bags, weeds and curtains

 

 

Carpet, rubble sacks, builders bags, canvas holdalls 

 

 

Hula hoops, broken swings, hosepipe, more rubble sacks, blue string (not official CRT stuff though) 

 

Reeds, string, garden furniture

 

 More weeds and some chunks of metal

 

 

But that's not all! 

 

 

For the grand finale:

 

 

700 feet of rope to tie it all together

 

 

And two fenders!

 

 

Aren't you glad you waited for that one? 

 

 

 

 

The boat sandpit itself was even wombled on a litterpick on the L&L last year.

 

 

The four items that were staged to create this nightmare bladeful were of course the boat, the rope and the two fenders.

 

 

 

[TheBiscuits]

Really cross about yesterday, being stuck on that debris in the canal.  We finished off the evening in style though, with a nice bonfire.

 

It did flare up a bit, sending a huge cloud of sparks drifting off to the South, but it seems to have cleared the trees without setting anything alight.  I'm sure somebody will let us know if there is a problem, but all seems well as we go to sleep.

 

 

 

 

Got up this morning raring to go, but still stuck on the trolley with even less water than yesterday.  We did hear a few fire engines go past in the night, so maybe they needed to pump canal water to put out a fire somewhere.

 

 

Ringing CRT this morning we have been informed there was a slight technical issue with the crane yesterday, so it won't be coming today.  Or tomorrow ...

 

 

 

This serious setback can not be allowed to further interrupt our cruising plan, so we decided we need to take some spare gear off the boat.

 

 

This seems to have helped, but not quite enough.  We only need another couple of inches of water to get free.

 

 

 

Edited May 6, 2020 by TheBiscuits
Grammar

[TheBiscuits]

 

We had a brilliant idea ...  we can dig our own feeder to top up the canal a bit.

 

It was quite a long walk to the nearest watersource, but the boat wasn't going anywhere until we had done something to get us off that trolley.

 

 

 

We found the source of the water ...

 

 

 

... and sent it along a new channel to where we wanted it ...

 

 

 

And then got out of there before we got spotted.

 

[TheBiscuits]

 

Excellent that worked well.  Getting on towards late afternoon now so we set off for our first proper cruise on the BCN since the challenge began.

 

Set off in glorious sunshine, really feeling the wind in our hair.  Boating on the BCN is just perfect on days like this ...

 

Then disaster struck!  We seem to have got a nightmare bladeful from under Pothouse Bridge (see pictures above) and by the time we cleared it all out it was starting to go dark.  All we could do was reverse back to the safe mooring again, sad that the cruise was cut so brutally short.

 

https://canalplan.org.uk/cgi-bin/canal.cgi?quickroute=yes&where=Junction with Bradley Old Loop (closed), Pothouse Bridge, Junction with Bradley Old Loop (closed)

 

This is a trip of 0.13 miles from Junction with Bradley Old Loop (closed) to Junction with Bradley Old Loop (closed).

This will take 3 minutes. (at 2.5 mph)

 

Hah! 3 minutes it says!  Four flipping hours down the weedhatch is more like it.

 

Day 3 scores on the floors: 0.13 miles, 0 locks, 0 bonus, 0 points

 

I'm sure we will get further tomorrow, it would be difficult to see what could stop us ...

 

At least we broke our duck today as the cricketers say, so we shouldn't get too many more complaints about cheating by not cruising.

 

 

[cheshire~rose]

18 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

 

 

Reeds, string, garden furniture

 

 

What is the green glass thing? 

[TheBiscuits]

1 minute ago, cheshire~rose said:

What is the green glass thing? 

 

For sale on behalf of a well known canal trust ...

[cheshire~rose]

Just now, TheBiscuits said:

 

For sale on behalf of a well known canal trust ...

Asking price?

[TheBiscuits]

6 minutes ago, cheshire~rose said:

Asking price?

 

Well, the more the better really - it is for charidee after all.  Those last 9 miles aren't going to build themselves ...

[Dr Bob]

I want to object. Is this the Virtual Challenge Stewards Enquiry thread?

All Mr Biscuits is doing is fishing stuff out the canal....and I bet he's not even doing that.... Aren't we meant to be navigating the BCN? You cant go giving him points for all this cr*p (pardon my polish).

I at least think we need a bit of effort to move somewhere otherwise Mr Biscuits will not be affected by any of these 'stoppages' that seem to be occuring around the network.

[cheshire~rose]

17 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Well, the more the better really - it is for charidee after all.  Those last 9 miles aren't going to build themselves ...

I have some noodles......

 

There are a few more than 9 miles to restore on the BCN 

[peterboat]

3 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

I want to object. Is this the Virtual Challenge Stewards Enquiry thread?

All Mr Biscuits is doing is fishing stuff out the canal....and I bet he's not even doing that.... Aren't we meant to be navigating the BCN? You cant go giving him points for all this cr*p (pardon my polish).

I at least think we need a bit of effort to move somewhere otherwise Mr Biscuits will not be affected by any of these 'stoppages' that seem to be occuring around the network.

Yeah more cruising less chatting comes to mind get those ropes cast off

[mrsmelly]

I reckon that biscuit bloke wants his cake ( get it ) and eat it. I think he is up to no good and actualy believe he hasnt moved anywhere!!

[Dr Bob]

1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

I reckon that biscuit bloke wants his cake ( get it ) and eat it. I think he is up to no good and actualy believe he hasnt moved anywhere!!

I dont think he's even on the BCN.

5 minutes ago, cheshire~rose said:

I have some noodles......

 

 

I wish I had some noodles..... and so does Smelly.

[TheBiscuits]

1 minute ago, peterboat said:

Yeah more cruising less chatting comes to mind get those ropes cast off

 

You lot aren't reading this thread are you?

 

We have covered a grand total of 322.39 miles and ten locks and dug a new feeder channel since we entered this challenge, despite all the problems we seem to be having.

 

You lot have a crew of 38 - @mrsmelly should get some of you out bowhauling by threatening keelhauling.

 

[mrsmelly]

Just now, Dr Bob said:

I dont think he's even on the BCN.

I reckon hes a widebeam owner ont quiet 

[Dr Bob]

6 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

 

 

You lot have a crew of 38 - @mrsmelly should get some of you out bowhauling by threatening keelhauling.

 

He's already done that this morning.

For some unknown reason we are not moving. No one can understand the Communication officer. The rest of us are bored which is why we are reading your thread.

Edited May 7, 2020 by Dr Bob