BCN Challenge 2023

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Give us a hint, what flavour’s the beer?

Which ones they sending?
I do like their beer very much. 
I am drooling. 

[Captain Pegg]

3 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Give us a hint, what flavour’s the beer?

Which ones they sending?
I do like their beer very much. 
I am drooling. 

 

A Citra Supreme and a Fireside. Names are possibly self explanatory, a light hoppy thing and a dark bold thing.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Just now, Captain Pegg said:

 

A Citra Supreme and a Fireside. Names are possibly self explanatory, a light hoppy thing and a dark bold thing.

Oh dear,

Oh dear,

I do like that fireside very much and it’s a nice moorish 5%er. 

🤪🤪

More importantly, what time’s the bar opening?

I’d rather be early doors this year around. 
Is it first challenger back?

I can be there for 8am

 

…Saturday. 

[Captain Pegg]

The competitors for this year's Challenge are already aware that the event is being filmed for an episode of Cruising the Cut.

 

I've taken David - who makes the series - through the activities that might be of interest such as the opening of the envelope with the questions just before 0800 on Saturday, the energy that goes into the first locks, the hunt for the clues that give the answers to questions, the night time cruising on the northern reaches, the horribly early start on Sunday and the attempts to nurse tiredness and hangovers while fighting with low pounds as boats converge on the flights of locks that lead to the finish, and then the finish activities themselves.

 

I shall also be asking David to assist with the award of the Trolley Trophy and assigning points to all those crews that make an effort to decorate their boats.

 

Other than that we're pretty much all set. Vulpes is currently loaded up with the kit to set up a mobile bar at Tipton, it's just the beer that is still to be collected. I shall be in Birmingham on Saturday morning to meet David and do a short piece for his episode before he heads off with some of the boats and I head for Tipton.

 

We've even booked six boats worth of participants in for a curry on Sunday evening.

[TheBiscuits]

5 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

the horribly early start on Sunday and the attempts to nurse tiredness and hangovers while fighting with low pounds

 

Use the @tree monkey and @matty40s technique - just keep drinking the whisky and you won't have a hangover (yet) at 6am Sunday ...

[Captain Pegg]

Hmm, it now seems that the boats that are still at Titford following last weekend's rally - which includes Vulpes plus at least two of the competitors - are stuck hard on the bottom.

[Francis Herne]

On 19/05/2023 at 13:20, Victor Vectis said:

Any offers as to the state of the shopping trolly reef under that bridge at Great Bridge?

IWA & BCNS removed 28 trolleys from the reef in March. Another six were removed by BCNS last week for the Explorer Cruise. It's usually passable, just be careful.

 

Re. a recent email - the midway "winding hole" on the Ridgacre stub is not usable. A 30ft boat can just about be turned near the furthest reachable point. Do not put your hands in the water along there, I got chemical burns... I'm not aware of any formal prohibition notice although CRT strongly discourage it.

 

At Moorcroft there's a big pile of bricks near the entrance to the arm that acts like a ratchet - you can get in much more easily than out. We found that with Crow the other month. Not a good idea, or bring a big winch.

 

@Captain Pegg - the level at Titford has continued to fall precipitously. I'm on the bottom; everyone on the arm including Vulpes, Joanna, Atlas & Malus is well stuck. CRT aware and being pestered.

Edited May 23, 2023 by Francis Herne

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Francis,

Are you back in town?

[Francis Herne]

9 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Francis,

Are you back in town?

I'm at Titford having made it up for the rally. Nottingham Castle to Old Turn was two days and not much sleep. Have to nip off to Alvechurch this week, but should be back for the challenge. On Atlas & Malus - been very tempted to enter on Lark but decided not this time.

Edited May 23, 2023 by Francis Herne

[Captain Pegg]

28 minutes ago, Francis Herne said:

IWA & BCNS removed 28 trolleys from the reef in March. Another six were removed by BCNS last week for the Explorer Cruise. It's usually passable, just be careful.

 

Re. a recent email - the midway "winding hole" on the Ridgacre stub is not usable. A 30ft boat can just about be turned near the furthest reachable point. Do not put your hands in the water along there, I got chemical burns... I'm not aware of any formal prohibition notice although CRT strongly discourage it.

 

At Moorcroft there's a big pile of bricks near the entrance to the arm that acts like a ratchet - you can get in much more easily than out. We found that with Crow the other month. Not a good idea, or bring a big winch.

 

@Captain Pegg - the level at Titford has continued to fall precipitously. I'm on the bottom; everyone on the arm including Vulpes, Joanna, Atlas & Malus is well stuck. CRT aware and being pestered.

 

I wrote a mail to competitors yesterday regarding clarification of where the photograph is required at the end of the Wednesbury Old Canal (Ridgacre) stub. I don't know if that's the mail you're referring to but it had nothing to do with actually navigating the arm. The rules clearly state you are not to attempt to navigate the stub, hence the offer of points for proof of walking to the end.

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

cor that was some run in two days, pretty hardcore work on your own

 

Good stuff, will be good to catch you again.

Im back in Brum town, welcome to stop by on your way through for a coffee and an ice cream 👍

 

[Francis Herne]

That's the mail. I had misread it but understand now.

 

(I still disagree with excluding that branch given the original purpose of the Challenge - if CRT want to close it and justify doing so, they ought to issue a stoppage notice rather than this 'closure by stealth' nonsense. The rules are the rules though.)

[Captain Pegg]

1 hour ago, Francis Herne said:

That's the mail. I had misread it but understand now.

 

(I still disagree with excluding that branch given the original purpose of the Challenge - if CRT want to close it and justify doing so, they ought to issue a stoppage notice rather than this 'closure by stealth' nonsense. The rules are the rules though.)

 

CRT don't have the power to close it, hence the current situation. Although there should be a stoppage notice.

 

I don't know the official BCNS position and what if any discussions they may have had with CRT but as you know the BCNS is an organisation that works hard to improve the canal environment so I don't think they'd want to be complicit in creating a pollution incident that killed a lot of fish (which is allegedly what would happen if navigation were allowed).

 

The real damage was done when the Black Country spine road was allowed to sever the Wednesbury Old Canal rendering the stub fairly pointless. Although I suspect even that wouldn't have happened if there was appreciable usage. It's one reason that usage of what is available is encouraged and the whole point of the Challenge.

 

Edited May 23, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[Little Else]

Any chance of a list of competitors?

[Captain Pegg]

Although there was briefly a 19th entry we're now back down to 18. Assuming I can extricate Vulpes from Titford I'll also count the points for the short cruise I have to do on Saturday, and there will be a forfeit for anyone failing to beat that score.

 

Atlas and Malus

Dolly

England

Ferrous

Goliath

Goosander

Joanna

Maxwell

Melaleuca

Misbourne No 3

Misty Blue

Rebellion

Red Wharf

Rivets 5000

Tamar No 2

Tatty Lucy

Thistle

Song of the Waterways

 

 

 

[Little Else]

Thank you. Hope we get to see some of you before the finish. 

[Ange]

Wish we could be there to catch up with dear friends, unfortunately not possible this year. Hopefully next year - huge hugs to all my friends taking part 

[tree monkey]

11 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Use the @tree monkey and @matty40s technique - just keep drinking the whisky and you won't have a hangover (yet) at 6am Sunday ...

It's a plan, not a great plan but it is a plan.

 

 

[Little Else]

Next question. Where is Barney?

[tree monkey]

Photos, those of us not participating this year need photos and lots of them please

[Little Else]

Ange and Dave, wish we could see you both. 

[matty40s]

12 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Use the @tree monkey and @matty40s technique - just keep drinking the whisky and you won't have a hangover (yet) at 6am Sunday ...

It was 04.30 we set off, in the middle of a humongous thunderstorm. We had dropped down the flight, emptied a pound and removed a 110ah battery from behind an gate and reconnected a paddle AND reached Walsall basin by 7am.

Edited May 24, 2023 by matty40s

[MoominPapa]

44 minutes ago, matty40s said:

It was 04.30 we set off, in the middle of a humongous thunderstorm.

By judicious use of the Peril Sensitive Spotlight.

 

MP.

[agg221]

9 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

Although there was briefly a 19th entry we're now back down to 18. Assuming I can extricate Vulpes from Titford I'll also count the points for the short cruise I have to do on Saturday, and there will be a forfeit for anyone failing to beat that score.

So what you're saying is that we can start at the bottom of the 21, come straight to the finish and get going on the beer, and still not come last!

 

Alec

[Captain Pegg]

4 minutes ago, agg221 said:

So what you're saying is that we can start at the bottom of the 21, come straight to the finish and get going on the beer, and still not come last!

 

Alec

No. Licence doesn’t permit the sale of alcohol until 1200 on Sunday so you may as well go boating to pass the time.

 

Atlas and Joanna may yet score zero. As will I if the levels at Titford aren’t sorted.

Edited May 24, 2023 by Captain Pegg