BCN 24 Hour Marathon Challenge 2024

[ditchcrawler]

1 minute ago, Rob-M said:

Yes, that was copied from the go boats Birmingham web site.

but Go Boats have gone

[Rob-M]

1 minute ago, ditchcrawler said:

but Go Boats have gone

Only for the winter, from their web site...

 

See you in 2024!

We're currently closed for sailing while our boats are made ready for the new year. You can still book your trip online for Spring 2024

[Francis Herne]

6 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

Nobody is moored in a daft place and nobody speeds down the Engine arm.

I've been there in the past to find a boat moored sticking out into the winding hole. That counts as daft in my book, although complaining about being bumped in that case would be really daft.

 

I've heard (but at least secondhand from who-knows-where) the Go Boats have left permanently and aren't coming back next year. The person who told me was pleased, thought they were a hazard to navigation, but I rather liked them. Got people onto the water and added a lot more movement to the scene.

 

It's definitely a bit shallow even when you're jot squeezing past the moored boats. Atlas draws 2ft 9in or something and we had quite a bit of... fun? The Tamar guys enjoyed it anyway.

 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Francis Herne

[TheBiscuits]

1 minute ago, Francis Herne said:

I've been there in the past and found a boat moored sticking out into the winding hole. That counts as daft in my book, although complaining about being bumped in that case would be improbably so.

 

Yeah, I wondered if it was that one as well.  One of the neighbouring boats told me they do it to try and dissuade non-residents boats from using the services and winding hole.  

 

Surely the best way to avoid getting bumped there during the challenge would be to take part!

 

 

[john6767]

22 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Yeah, I wondered if it was that one as well.  One of the neighbouring boats told me they do it to try and dissuade non-residents boats from using the services and winding hole.  

 

Surely the best way to avoid getting bumped there during the challenge would be to take part!

 

 

Not exactly going to dissuade anyone though, by the time you are there you have to use the winding hole to get back out.

 

Best way to avoid being hit would to put the boat back on its assigned mooring.

[David Mack]

36 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

One of the neighbouring boats told me they do it to try and dissuade non-residents boats from using the services and winding hole.  

If that isn't a breach of their mooring Ts and Cs it ought to be. In any event it should be reported to CRT.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

1 hour ago, Francis Herne said:

I've been there in the past to find a boat moored sticking out into the winding hole. That counts as daft in my book, although complaining about being bumped in that case would be really daft.

 

I've heard (but at least secondhand from who-knows-where) the Go Boats have left permanently and aren't coming back next year. The person who told me was pleased, thought they were a hazard to navigation, but I rather liked them. Got people onto the water and added a lot more movement to the scene.

 

It's definitely a bit shallow even when you're jot squeezing past the moored boats. Atlas draws 2ft 9in or something and we had quite a bit of... fun? The Tamar guys enjoyed it anyway.

 

Tug of War?

now that will upset the neighbours 😎

[Victor Vectis]

4 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

They have all gone, I did wonder if they had left the electric turned on

Yes.

 

When mooored around the back of the Sea Life Centre I've wondered what would happen if I tried plugging in the shoreline there.

[DShK]

Want to take part this year. Unfortunately it's the same weekend as Crick which means all of my (waterways business running) boater friends will be busy.

 

Will have to scrape together some land dwellers.

 

Will I regret taking the butty?

[Francis Herne]

7 minutes ago, DShK said:

Want to take part this year. Unfortunately it's the same weekend as Crick which means all of my (waterways business running) boater friends will be busy.

 

Will have to scrape together some land dwellers.

 

Will I regret taking the butty?

 

Probably, but it's all good fun...

We plan to enter with Atlas & Malus as usual - it would be nice to have another boat-and-butty pair as direct competition.

[Rob-M]

6 hours ago, DShK said:

Want to take part this year. Unfortunately it's the same weekend as Crick which means all of my (waterways business running) boater friends will be busy.

 

Will have to scrape together some land dwellers.

 

Will I regret taking the butty?

I may take Scorpio and Leo again this year so would be good to have a number of pairs taking part.

[Captain Pegg]

The Narrow Boat Trust may also return with Nuneaton and Brighton.

 

In terms of crew there are some former regular competitors on the forum who may well be interested in helping out and I also get queries from boaters and other interested parties asking if they can get involved. Those get passed on to competitors but I suspect most have their crews sorted before they apply.

[DShK]

11 hours ago, Francis Herne said:

 

Probably, but it's all good fun...

We plan to enter with Atlas & Malus as usual - it would be nice to have another boat-and-butty pair as direct competition.

I would not consider my pair boating "competition" 🤣

 

3 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

The Narrow Boat Trust may also return with Nuneaton and Brighton.

 

In terms of crew there are some former regular competitors on the forum who may well be interested in helping out and I also get queries from boaters and other interested parties asking if they can get involved. Those get passed on to competitors but I suspect most have their crews sorted before they apply.

 

Do you get points deducted for more crew? If not, I'll take as many as can be found 😄

[Rob-M]

Just now, DShK said:

Do you get points deducted for more crew?

More bonus points for fewer crew, once you get to a certain size of crew you lose the crew bonus points so then you may as well have a massive crew.

 

Last time I took the pair we had four of us.

[Captain Pegg]

I improved the scoring for pairs last year based upon my experience of having crewed a pair pre-Covid versus my normal experience of a crew of two on a single boat.

 

Since the only competing pair last year quickly developed a reluctance to working locks it didn’t really have an impact.

 

I’d love to see four pairs out and about for the weekend and any that has a competent and motivated crew will be competitive.

 

I’m also hoping for at least one other privately owned historic entrant.

 

Plus Oates too possibly.

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[Francis Herne]

3 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

Since the only competing pair last year quickly developed a reluctance to working locks it didn’t really have an impact.

 

I’d love to see four pairs out and about for the weekend and any that has a competent and motivated crew will be competitive.

😬

Harsh, but mostly fair... the original lock-heavy plan (along with motivation generally) was a casualty of other self-inflicted mishaps and wasted time rather than aversion to locks as such.

Leaves room for improvement at least.

[DShK]

12 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

I improved the scoring for pairs last year based upon my experience of having crewed a pair pre-Covid versus my normal experience of a crew of two on a single boat.

 

Since the only competing pair last year quickly developed a reluctance to working locks it didn’t really have an impact.

 

I’d love to see four pairs out and about for the weekend and any that has a competent and motivated crew will be competitive.

 

I’m also hoping for at least one other privately owned historic entrant.

 

Plus Oates too possibly.

 

But working locks is the best bit imo! Wonder if I can get some practise in long lining through locks before then....

 

I'll bring the butty then (assuming she's not in for works). Given my inexperience with pairs we'll probably not be fast, but will come with a competitive spirit.

[Stroudwater1]

The thought of trailing 4 pairs through Gosty Hill and Oates ahead  with a time deadline is an intriguing likelihood.
 

Best wishes to  someone in Hawne basin who just nipped down there for some well priced diesel and was  hoping to get to moor in central Birmingham that night.  

 

[Francis Herne]

37 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

The thought of trailing 4 pairs through Gosty Hill and Oates ahead  with a time deadline is an intriguing likelihood.
 

Best wishes to  someone in Hawne basin who just nipped down there for some well priced diesel and was  hoping to get to moor in central Birmingham that night.

At least everyone will be going in the same direction this time!

[Captain Pegg]

3 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

The thought of trailing 4 pairs through Gosty Hill and Oates ahead  with a time deadline is an intriguing likelihood.
 

Best wishes to  someone in Hawne basin who just nipped down there for some well priced diesel and was  hoping to get to moor in central Birmingham that night.  

 

Finishers tend to roll in over about 6 hours. There will be a bit of a rush just before 1400 but given it takes between 10 and 15 minutes for most boats to traverse Gosty Hill it’s not that different to there being a lock close to the finish line.

 

Any pairs won’t be particularly slower than other boats.

 

On the other hand if there was a flight of locks leading to the finish they would be far more disruptive.

 

As for any visitors the best advice would be to stay a while and join the social in the clubhouse.

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[Rob-M]

When we long lined up Farmer's bridge to the finish point I think we held a few boats up.

[Dfasham]

6 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

I’m also hoping for at least one other privately owned historic entrant.

Just talked to a new potential crew mate for a fairly historic boat (If 60+ years old counts). Looking at some different possibilities with routes this year (i.e. not necessarily maximising points but still going for a good haul) 

[agg221]

7 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

Plus Oates too possibly.

 

It should be Oates but that depends a bit on whether @Ben Jameson’s memory of the previous trip through Gosty Hill has faded sufficiently.

 

What I would really like to do is that and Dudley but the latter depends on whether they will put on a volunteer that weekend.

 

Alec

[Ben Jameson]

49 minutes ago, agg221 said:

It should be Oates but that depends a bit on whether @Ben Jameson’s memory of the previous trip through Gosty Hill has faded sufficiently.

 

What I would really like to do is that and Dudley but the latter depends on whether they will put on a volunteer that weekend.

 

Alec

My first thought on seeing that the finish was at Hawne Basin was that we must take Oates next year....

I hope you are going to arrange a suitable spoon dredger to take along as a butty so we can have another crack at Titford Pools as well? (actually, that may well be better than it was back in 2022).

Ben.

[Dfasham]

1 hour ago, agg221 said:

What I would really like to do is that and Dudley but the latter depends on whether they will put on a volunteer that weekend.

Experience of the gauging of Dudley Tunnel is that it needs to be done from the Southern Portal. Ferrous which is a very low boat and easily fits through the tunnel cannot get through the gauge at the Northern portal but will fit through with room to spare at Park Head. Our experience of getting volunteers to crew the support boat from the Tunnel Trust has generally been very good and always willing to accommodate wherever possible. 

Edited November 21, 2023 by Dfasham
grammatical errors