BCN Challenge 2022

[ditchcrawler]

13 minutes ago, Mrs Tawny Owl said:

Right, I have had a chat with the chap who issued our Licence.

It seems the request to close Netherton for the paddleboarders was received quote late, as the organiser didn't know they had to apply for a closure for the boarders to go through.

I think the request for the closure went to C&RT, and they issued the closure notice, not realising this would impact our event. I suspect it's different departments and they didn't have all the details to hand.

 

That notice has now been removed pending discussion with the boarders organiser.

 

I have said we are happy for the tunnel to be closed from 1.30pm, you'll need to be through by then anyway to get to Withymoor on time.. They did suggest closing it earlier instead, but as I don't know what time people were intending to come though that's not going to work.

 

The trip the boarders are doing includes going through the Dundley tunnels so the suggestion is they do that tunnel first, or only that tunnel if they can't swap the times over.

 

I'll get confirmation once I've spoken to the licencing chap again, probably early next week.

 

Because this is very late notice, I will make allowances for anyone who can't get through the tunnel in time. That will be in the final email I send out with the cruise log.

 

Should be OK I think. Not a deliberate aim to ignore boaters, but a mix up and communication failure.

Sue

 

Well done.

[nicknorman]

Stoppage notice now cancelled.

[agg221]

Hi Sue,

 

Thanks for trying to sort this out.

 

one thing I need to check - are CRT now planning on pushing back the closure time but making it the same duration, ie 13.30-16.30? If so, that gives us a major headache as we need to get to Wolverhampton that night so essentially we can’t get to the finish at all.

 

Alec

[Mrs Tawny Owl]

I'm not sure.

 

I spoke to someone from the local C&RT area. They said the notice had been cancelled, and a new notice with revised times would be issued next week.

 

He didn't say what the revised times would be, I don't think they know yet.

 

He did say there had been a lot of complaints about the notice so they had reacted to them.

 

As soon as I know more I'll let everyone know.

[agg221]

41 minutes ago, Mrs Tawny Owl said:

I'm not sure.

 

I spoke to someone from the local C&RT area. They said the notice had been cancelled, and a new notice with revised times would be issued next week.

 

He didn't say what the revised times would be, I don't think they know yet.

 

He did say there had been a lot of complaints about the notice so they had reacted to them.

 

As soon as I know more I'll let everyone know.

Thanks Sue, and sorry you’re getting all these last minute headaches. Maybe I should prevail on DCT to let us head back S to N (not that this helps many people but there have to be some perks to having a tiny boat!)

 

Alec

[Mrs Tawny Owl]

Latest update.

 

The tunnel will be closed from 1.30pm, so you must be through by then (But you should be anyway to get to Withymoor on time.)

 

They are going to tell the paddle boarders they all need to be waiting at the end of the tunnel to go through as soon as it's closed. Any stragglers will have to walk or make other arrangements.

 

The tunnel will be reopened as soon as they are through, so agg221 if you go and queue at the tunnel entrance ready to go through as soon as you're allowed hopefully you'll get to Wolverhampton in time. They think it will probably be closed for a couple of hours, maybe less.

 

Sue

[Tom and Bex]

Re timings for this closure - if we have to be through the tunnel by 1.30, what's the latest time that boats will be allowed to enter Netherton from the North?

[cheshire~rose]

Thanks for sorting this out for everyone Sue @Mrs Tawny Owl

 

You really didn't need this last minute hassle. 

 

While I concur, a simple miscommunication is an easy thing to happen It is sadly true that far too many of the problems with CRT these days are due to lack of effective communication. Some of these end up costing them a lot of money! Others mean individuals or groups feel like they are being kept in the dark and start to wonder if there is some conspiracy behind the lack of communication. 

 

Some departments and areas are far better at communication than others in my experience 

 

I will cancel the order for the long oars now then  

[agg221]

Hi Sue,

 

Not wishing to complicate things, particularly at the last minute, but I have been thinking about something.

 

With two main sections of route effectively unavailable (Rushall through route and the Dudley Tunnel) that's going to focus a lot of attention on routes involving the trip down to Hawne Basin as the last section before the finish. That could create a complete lottery around Gosty Hill - it only takes a convoy of a few few boats spaced 10mins apart to create a major time delay in one direction or the other.

 

It's about 1hr 15 from Hawne Basin to Withymoor, so I wondered whether it might be possible to agree something along the lines that any boat heading down that way arriving at Hawne Basin between say 12.15 and 12.45 waits until 12.45 and heads back in convoy, and if the convoy gets held up by boats coming through the tunnel (which would be too late to make it to the finish in time) then all boats in the convoy are classed as finishing on time?

 

Otherwise it could become a rather tactical free-for-all, where leaving Hawne Basin at 12.15 could effectively block all boats heading the other way from reaching the finish, or deliberately entering the tunnel towards Hawne basin at 12.30 could ensure that several boats are late finishing, and that you yourself are not any later than them as you can wind and follow them back.

 

Alec

[Rob-M]

1 hour ago, agg221 said:

Hi Sue,

 

Not wishing to complicate things, particularly at the last minute, but I have been thinking about something.

 

With two main sections of route effectively unavailable (Rushall through route and the Dudley Tunnel) that's going to focus a lot of attention on routes involving the trip down to Hawne Basin as the last section before the finish. That could create a complete lottery around Gosty Hill - it only takes a convoy of a few few boats spaced 10mins apart to create a major time delay in one direction or the other.

 

It's about 1hr 15 from Hawne Basin to Withymoor, so I wondered whether it might be possible to agree something along the lines that any boat heading down that way arriving at Hawne Basin between say 12.15 and 12.45 waits until 12.45 and heads back in convoy, and if the convoy gets held up by boats coming through the tunnel (which would be too late to make it to the finish in time) then all boats in the convoy are classed as finishing on time?

 

Otherwise it could become a rather tactical free-for-all, where leaving Hawne Basin at 12.15 could effectively block all boats heading the other way from reaching the finish, or deliberately entering the tunnel towards Hawne basin at 12.30 could ensure that several boats are late finishing, and that you yourself are not any later than them as you can wind and follow them back.

 

Alec

Surely that is part of the route planning exercise and working out what is best for your chosen route.  I don't think allowances should be made for crews deciding to take a route that could prevent them from reaching the finish on time.

[Captain Pegg]

41 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Surely that is part of the route planning exercise and working out what is best for your chosen route.  I don't think allowances should be made for crews deciding to take a route that could prevent them from reaching the finish on time.

 

Indeed, and a boat visiting Hawne Basin may or may not wish to visit Bumblehole for the photo bonus on the way back to Withymoor so you can't fix a time from Hawne Basin to Withymoor.

 

I recall last time the Challenge finished at Hawne Basin one competitor finished prior to 1400 and headed straight back through the tunnel. You don't get priority as a competitor.

[Victor Vectis]

2 hours ago, agg221 said:

< snip >

Otherwise it could become a rather tactical free-for-all, where leaving Hawne Basin at 12.15 could effectively block all boats heading the other way from reaching the finish, or deliberately entering the tunnel towards Hawne basin at 12.30 could ensure that several boats are late finishing, and that you yourself are not any later than them as you can wind and follow them back.

 

Alec

 

Isn't that all part of the fun?

[agg221]

14 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

 

Isn't that all part of the fun?

Sort of, but I can imagine that a non-competitor stuck trying to get through the tunnel to a mooring at Hawne Basin for up to an hour may not find it much fun, which may not do the competition as a whole much good.

 

Finishing at Hawne Basin is one thing (I was in that one) as everyone is generally heading in the same direction, but the predictability that you will need to go both ways through the tunnel does suggest it is setting up for a predictable problem.

 

However, if the general view is that tactics are all part of the game, perhaps I should plan for 'engine failure' in the tunnel at around midday on the way back towards Withymoor. Will probably take about an hour to fix...

 

Alec

Edited May 29, 2022 by agg221

[TheBiscuits]

49 minutes ago, agg221 said:

However, if the general view is that tactics are all part of the game, perhaps I should plan for 'engine failure' in the tunnel at around midday on the way back towards Withymoor. Will probably take about an hour to fix...

 

The car tyre that jammed me took longer than that ...

 

Don't tempt fate!

[Captain Pegg]

1 hour ago, agg221 said:

Sort of, but I can imagine that a non-competitor stuck trying to get through the tunnel to a mooring at Hawne Basin for up to an hour may not find it much fun, which may not do the competition as a whole much good.

 

Finishing at Hawne Basin is one thing (I was in that one) as everyone is generally heading in the same direction, but the predictability that you will need to go both ways through the tunnel does suggest it is setting up for a predictable problem.

 

However, if the general view is that tactics are all part of the game, perhaps I should plan for 'engine failure' in the tunnel at around midday on the way back towards Withymoor. Will probably take about an hour to fix...

 

Alec

 

I think you are over worrying about things. This sort of 'risk' always exists at the end of the Challenge but what's the problem with interacting with a load of similar minded boaters at around lunchtime if someone does have to wait? I doubt the folks from Hawne Basin will be too worried, they'll likely be at Withymoor where the beer and food will be.

[agg221]

1 hour ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

I think you are over worrying about things. This sort of 'risk' always exists at the end of the Challenge but what's the problem with interacting with a load of similar minded boaters at around lunchtime if someone does have to wait? I doubt the folks from Hawne Basin will be too worried, they'll likely be at Withymoor where the beer and food will be.

 

Probably. I think it's a combination of trying to do this with a lot of boating both sides, with an engine that I am not entirely confident in as it doesn't like idling for too long (at the end of the Audlem flight I get so much smoke when I rev up that I can't see the other end of the boat at all!) and I'm never quite sure whether it will re-start. I also have very little flexibility at the end as two of the crew will be needing to get back to school on the Monday and working backwards we don't have huge amounts of time in hand at any time from the end of the Challenge itself, so getting stuck at Hawne Basin for an hour or so sees me reaching the end of the Dudley No.2 and turning right, straight through the tunnel and missing out the end point completely, which isn't ideal. I also don't really enjoy deliberately annoying people by blocking them from getting through, particularly if they have already been waiting as a seemingly endless row of boats comes through. Somewhat perversely, that made the Dudley Tunnel a much more attractive option as it gave a level of predictability.

 

I am sure it will all be fine,

 

Alec

 

edit: one of the advantages of having a very narrow boat is that we are far less likely to wedge in the tunnel than many of the boats which will have gone before!

Edited May 29, 2022 by agg221

[Captain Pegg]

4 minutes ago, agg221 said:

 

Probably. I think it's a combination of trying to do this with a lot of boating both sides, with an engine that I am not entirely confident in as it doesn't like idling for too long (at the end of the Audlem flight I get so much smoke when I rev up that I can't see the other end of the boat at all!) and I'm never quite sure whether it will re-start. I also have very little flexibility at the end as two of the crew will be needing to get back to school on the Monday and working backwards we don't have huge amounts of time in hand at any time from the end of the Challenge itself, so getting stuck at Hawne Basin for an hour or so sees me reaching the end of the Dudley No.2 and turning right, straight through the tunnel and missing out the end point completely, which isn't ideal. I also don't really enjoy deliberately annoying people by blocking them from getting through, particularly if they have already been waiting as a seemingly endless row of boats comes through. Somewhat perversely, that made the Dudley Tunnel a much more attractive option as it gave a level of predictability.

 

I am sure it will all be fine,

 

Alec

 

My fiver says all will be fine and while I can't rule anything out I have no plans to head to Hawne Basin and there aren't that many boats doing the Challenge unless there has been a flood of late entries. The Netherton Tunnel closure isn't now significant unless you are already running late for the finish and the Daw End closure doesn't much affect the second day..

[agg221]

Just now, Captain Pegg said:

 

My fiver says all will be fine and while I can't rule anything out I have no plans to head to Hawne Basin and there aren't that many boats doing the Challenge unless there has been a flood of late entries. The Netherton Tunnel closure isn't now significant unless you are already running late for the finish and the Daw End closure doesn't much affect the second day..

True enough.

 

I suspect the real competition will probably be decided around the Ryders' Green flight. Mind you, I don't think Spey is taking part this year? Last time, it was virtually ploughing its way up the flight, which was not good for time if you were following, but was certainly good for draft!

Alec

[Mrs Tawny Owl]

On 27/05/2022 at 22:03, Tom and Bex said:

Re timings for this closure - if we have to be through the tunnel by 1.30, what's the latest time that boats will be allowed to enter Netherton from the North?

I don't know, I'm assuming that Closing the tunnel at 1.30pm means no boats can enter from either end after 1.30 pm.

I'll send a quick email over.

[Mrs Tawny Owl]

As Always some allowances will be made for happenings on the day. The year factory locks were closed with a broken gate the end timings were treated a bit flexibly, and when we arrived at Bradley workshops one year and encountered a 15 boat queue before we could get close enough to hand in the logs allowances were made. It will all be fine.

[IanM]

Just received the Cruise Log email 

 

Team Piglet is currently sat opposite the Cape of Good Hope in Warwick. 🍻

[Mrs Tawny Owl]

Paper cruise logs were posted on Friday evening so should be with you today or tomorrow.

I've just emailed the excel file, and the details of the food  drink and entertainment on offer.

 

There is a dummy page on the file, so you can open it to make sure it's working, but don't look at sheet 2 until Friday morning.

Let me know if there are any problems.

 

See you all at Withymoor on Saturday.

 

Sue

[RebelMike]

Log received, thank you.  We're moored just under the Lego giraffe in the centre of Birmingham already - heading to our super-secret start location on Thursday!

[tree monkey]

42 minutes ago, RebelMike said:

Log received, thank you.  We're moored just under the Lego giraffe in the centre of Birmingham already - heading to our super-secret start location on Thursday!

I bet it's somewhere on the BCN

 

[RebelMike]

9 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

I bet it's somewhere on the BCN

 

Unless our advanced cloud-based neural network enhanced planning algorithm* has gone very wrong, I think that's a safe bet.

 

*That's me and a google sheet