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BCN Marathon Challenge

stort_mark

By stort_mark
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RLWP Veteran II

RLWP

Posted
Posted
My much maligned bow rope is now enjoying a happy retirement in the Sunshine Home for Spent Haberdashery and El Gato is sporting a replacement, you'll all be happy to hear.

 

So it's gone off to tie up BW work boats has it? Looked about the right quality if a little short of hairy knots...

 

Richard

 

Details of our trip have been added on the Sickle website.

 

Excellent weekend, although very hard work.

 

Click here to see the pics and videos

 

Great pictures, and good to see you long-lining.

 

In this picture:

025small.jpg

 

You can see the Keep net that I cut off Tawny Owls prop at the bottom of the Crow. It's on our deck full of assorted plastic, weeds and clothing.

 

Richard

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dove Community Regular

dove

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Here's my least favorite photo taken at the weekend.

 

008-5.jpg

 

40 minutes later we had navigated to the end of the branch in a 70ft boat and have photos to prove it. The Ridgacre Arm unnavigable? Pah!

 

The closure was due to contaminated sediment, as in 2001 when it killed most of the fish.

 

Andrew

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Hairy-Neil Veteran

Hairy-Neil

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The closure was due to contaminated sediment, as in 2001 when it killed most of the fish.

 

Andrew

 

If that's the case then surely the whole of the BCN should be closed forthwith

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but surely the BCN Challenge originally came about because the Ridgacre Branch was trunkated to build a new road. Are we now to loose it all over again without a fight?

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  • 4 weeks later...
RLWP Veteran II

RLWP

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Well, just to close this thread off properly. Last night RLWP and Stort_Mark were at the BCNS rally at Titford Pools to collect our well earned prize for SECOND PLACE!!! Not bad for a first attempt!

 

Thanks to the rest of team Tawny Owl for their help.

 

To everyone else - BCN northern reaches are wonderful, go and see them while you can.

 

Richard

 

And if the owner of Muskrat is out there, we'd like to know your route...

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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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Well, just to close this thread off properly. Last night RLWP and Stort_Mark were at the BCNS rally at Titford Pools to collect our well earned prize for SECOND PLACE!!! Not bad for a first attempt!

 

Thanks to the rest of team Tawny Owl for their help.

 

To everyone else - BCN northern reaches are wonderful, go and see them while you can.

 

Richard

Well done !

 

Need any crew for next year ?!?

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Hairy-Neil Veteran

Hairy-Neil

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Thanks to the rest of team Tawny Owl for their help.

 

And if the owner of Muskrat is out there, we'd like to know your route...

 

Thanks for the oportunity.

 

How many points were there in it? Did the hold ups cost us the title?

 

PS. Spoke to the owner of Saltaire at Braunston Historic Gathering this morning and he was pleased to note we successfully navigated the Ridgacre and noted that he intends to head that way soon. Oddly, apparently BW have advised him not to go as he'd not be able to wind a 70ft boat..... We turned with ease from memory?

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stort_mark Proficient

stort_mark

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Thanks for the oportunity.

 

How many points were there in it? Did the hold ups cost us the title?

 

PS. Spoke to the owner of Saltaire at Braunston Historic Gathering this morning and he was pleased to note we successfully navigated the Ridgacre and noted that he intends to head that way soon. Oddly, apparently BW have advised him not to go as he'd not be able to wind a 70ft boat..... We turned with ease from memory?

 

They said the rules will change next year anyway. We suspect it wasn't much different from our route but they had less people. However, they did say that Muskrat's route was "ingenious" and didn't involve repetition. Maybe they did the Wolverhampton 21?

 

I thought about the WOC/Ridgacre again today but my crew (Richard) bailed out at the bottom of the Crow and I didn't fancy doing it alone.

 

We did wind with ease there, but Richard said that Tawny Owl only draws 1' 10". My recollection is that the end part is not the difficult part....that would be the stretch alongside the old Phoenix Tube Works approaching Great Bridge St Bridge.

 

Richard, by the way, was much more keen for me to take **my** boat up to the Pools than he was with his a few weeks back! We made it as far as the M5 bridge before hitting a wall of bricks and trolleys. Even the BCNS workboat was only doing trips up to Uncle Bens. We pissed off a few anglers. It was real TNC stuff with Richard poling at the bow. We went up to the end of the Engine Arm as well, and said that we needed you there to explain it all, Neil!

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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

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I loved the BCN - we went through last week, was looking forward to it, but didn't expect to enjoy it as much as we did. Never thought I'd enjoy working a lock flight. So much to see! Cannot wait to go back again. Now on the Shroppie which is bliss.

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RLWP Veteran II

RLWP

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I loved the BCN - we went through last week, was looking forward to it, but didn't expect to enjoy it as much as we did. Never thought I'd enjoy working a lock flight. So much to see! Cannot wait to go back again. Now on the Shroppie which is bliss.

 

Where did you go?

 

Richard

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Odana Rising Star

Odana

Posted
Posted
Well, just to close this thread off properly. Last night RLWP and Stort_Mark were at the BCNS rally at Titford Pools to collect our well earned prize for SECOND PLACE!!! Not bad for a first attempt!

 

Thanks to the rest of team Tawny Owl for their help.

 

To everyone else - BCN northern reaches are wonderful, go and see them while you can.

 

Richard

 

And if the owner of Muskrat is out there, we'd like to know your route...

 

Congratulations Team Tawny Owl!! A very impressive weekend's work!

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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

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Where did you go?

 

Richard

 

 

Camp Hill flight, then the next lock flight (don't have map book next to me!)Farmers Bridge Flight, then we did the loops (Icknield Port and Soho loop), didn't do the engine arm but stopped to have a look, then down the old main line to Dudley Black Country museum, then the Wolverhampton Flight. Two of us did it in under 3 hours with all the locks set against us - not as fast as Hatton which we did in 2 hrs 25 minutes - but we did have four helpers for that flight!

We will do some more BCN when we come again.

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Proper Job Veteran

Proper Job

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Thanks for the oportunity.

 

How many points were there in it? Did the hold ups cost us the title?

 

PS. Spoke to the owner of Saltaire at Braunston Historic Gathering this morning and he was pleased to note we successfully navigated the Ridgacre and noted that he intends to head that way soon. Oddly, apparently BW have advised him not to go as he'd not be able to wind a 70ft boat..... We turned with ease from memory?

I wouldn't say with ease, but we did turn. You would have struggled to get a fag paper between the bank and the rudder plate. Breathing in helped :lol:

 

They said the rules will change next year anyway. We suspect it wasn't much different from our route but they had less people. However, they did say that Muskrat's route was "ingenious" and didn't involve repetition. Maybe they did the Wolverhampton 21?

 

I thought about the WOC/Ridgacre again today but my crew (Richard) bailed out at the bottom of the Crow and I didn't fancy doing it alone.

 

We did wind with ease there, but Richard said that Tawny Owl only draws 1' 10". My recollection is that the end part is not the difficult part....that would be the stretch alongside the old Phoenix Tube Works approaching Great Bridge St Bridge.

 

Richard, by the way, was much more keen for me to take **my** boat up to the Pools than he was with his a few weeks back! We made it as far as the M5 bridge before hitting a wall of bricks and trolleys. Even the BCNS workboat was only doing trips up to Uncle Bens. We pissed off a few anglers. It was real TNC stuff with Richard poling at the bow. We went up to the end of the Engine Arm as well, and said that we needed you there to explain it all, Neil!

Steady Mark - don't divulge the tackticks. Loose lip's and all that.... :lol:

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RLWP Veteran II

RLWP

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Camp Hill flight, then the next lock flight (don't have map book next to me!)Farmers Bridge Flight, then we did the loops (Icknield Port and Soho loop), didn't do the engine arm but stopped to have a look, then down the old main line to Dudley Black Country museum, then the Wolverhampton Flight. Two of us did it in under 3 hours with all the locks set against us - not as fast as Hatton which we did in 2 hrs 25 minutes - but we did have four helpers for that flight!

We will do some more BCN when we come again.

 

Did you lose paint off your handrails in Ashtead tunnel? We always do, but I don't care!

 

Richard

 

Try the Wyrley and Essington next time. You'll be amazed.

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Lady Muck Veteran

Lady Muck

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Did you lose paint off your handrails in Ashtead tunnel? We always do, but I don't care!

 

Our handrails didn't touch it - but as for our Chimney! :lol: The boat has a 'Stortened' chimney after a trip up the Lee and Stort when we lost the longer one in the cut. After the Ashtead tunnel it looks like it came off worse in a brawl and is wearing it's hat at a jaunty angle.

 

I could not stop laughing when we went through that tunnel! It is tight isn't it?

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Hairy-Neil Veteran

Hairy-Neil

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I wouldn't say with ease, but we did turn. You would have struggled to get a fag paper between the bank and the rudder plate. Breathing in helped :lol:

 

Steve, I thought you had left by then?

 

Peter says they'll probably try the 'tow another boat backwards' method anyway as he and a friend want to go.....

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Proper Job Veteran

Proper Job

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Steve, I thought you had left by then?

 

You are correct. I was tierd and confused. It was the Bradley arm with the fag paper.

 

Peter says they'll probably try the 'tow another boat backwards' method anyway as he and a friend want to go.....

 

Ah the good old push me - pull you method. Bones is the resident expert on that methodoligy of travel. It gets her hate mail :lol:

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