BCN Challenge 2014 - 24 & 25th May

[Victor Vectis]

Yes. The Pearsons that Victor Vectis referred to earlier

 

 

Pearsons guides are great as long as you can cope with north being moveable feast on the map pages

 

However, hours of fun for all the family can be provided by photocopying individual pages then trimming and stitching them together into a coherent BCN map.

Looking at maps of the BCN and Google Maps has taken over my life for the last 24hrs. Is this normal?

Don't fight it, just go with the flow.

 

You are amongst friends here!

 

 

But if you think your last 24hrs have been bad just wait until you get the route planning bumph next month!

[David Mack]

Is there any resource that is better than Nicholsons for the BCN for planning? I've been trying to familiarise myself with the BCN but part of the area required is in a different book that I don't have.

 

Canalplan

Go to Route Editor, disable the Route Planning Wizard, and you get a screen where you can enter your start and end points and numerous intermediate points, then it will tell you how many miles and locks, and estimate the time it will take.

[john6767]

Hey that looks good! Interesting that Ryder's Green section is x3 whilst other really slow bits (daw end) are x2, although I appreciate it might be different this year.

 

Also I note it seems to be 2 miles per point, one lock per point. Mmmh, 2 miles = 30 or more like 45 mins (1hr on slowest sections), 1 BCN locks 6-8 mins... I can see why a large team of lockwheelers is an advantage!

Don't take it too literally that will not be the scoring scheme this this year, but I would expect the same basis to apply, like you will get a higher multiplier on the Bradley Arm than the Main Line etc.

 

The points per mile are in the rules and for this year they are, as I said before, length/35 per mile, so 2 points per mile in the 70ft boat, 1 point per mile in a 35ft boat etc. It is 1 point per lock this year as previously.

 

So you are correct particularly with a shorter boat, that more locks may be more efficient in points per hour, not broken that to Sally yet.

[Tim Lewis]

Is there any resource that is better than Nicholsons for the BCN for planning? I've been trying to familiarise myself with the BCN but part of the area required is in a different book that I don't have.

 

My favourie guide is the long out of print Perasons Gulde to the BCN, can still be found second hand:

 

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=9713214631&searchurl=bi%3D0%26amp%3Bbx%3Doff%26amp%3Bds%3D30%26amp%3Brecentlyadded%3Dall%26amp%3Bsortby%3D17%26amp%3Bsts%3Dt%26amp%3Btn%3Dbirmingham%2Bcanal%2Bnavigations%26amp%3Bx%3D81%26amp%3By%3D5

 

The following Heron (Geoprojects) Map is good in that it shows the whole of the BCN on one sheet

 

https://www.waterways.org.uk/shop/product_details?id=1671

 

The (very) old IWA BCN cruising guide (The Blue Book) is well worth hunting for the historical side

 

Richard Dean's excellent historical map of the BCN showing every bit ever built is also well worth finding out, don't expect to be able to ctuise all of it though!

 

Tim

Edited January 16, 2014 by Tim Lewis

[Odana]

GEOmaps did a brilliant BCN map which also had useful info like roads and railways on it. Now reprinted under new company. Blue colour cover. Probably available through IWA online shop.

[junior]

GEOmaps did a brilliant BCN map which also had useful info like roads and railways on it. Now reprinted under new company. Blue colour cover. Probably available through IWA online shop.

Could that be the Heron map that Tim mentions in his post above yours?

[john6767]

I suspect it probably is, I seem to have lost mine hopefully it is on the boat. The one problem with that map is it is printed double sided, so you can not open it out and see all the BCN at once, you would need to buy 2 and stick them together.

[wrigglefingers]

The first year Cobbett did the BCN we managed with an OS map and Google maps on my 'phone. We did have a two copies of Nicholson's estimable guide but I lost one on the boat during a planning meeting and then lost the replacement overboard.

 

In the course of doing this, I mistook Blower's Green for the Dudley tunnel entrance and so reversed all the way back to Merry Hell to locate the missing right turn. In doing so, I picked a lorry mudguard round the prop in the wide by Wetherspoons and had to jump into the cut to remove it. Definitely fun times for all the family. Andy's not been out boating since.

 

This year I shall be laminating and varnishing the entire Blue Book to Cobbett's roof. That should sort out the problem of the map disintegrating in the horizontal rain and hammering gale that will surely be our lot this year. Ma Pardoe's glorious establishment gets our vote too but not at the expense of the clubhouse at Hawne Basin.

Edited January 16, 2014 by wrigglefingers

[comfortably numb]

 

 

 

 

...single handing round the BCN could come unstuck at 3am in some of the less attractive parts of Brum. I remember going to Wolves a few seasons back as an away fan on a dark damp Tuesday night and thinking 'Never again!'.

 

 

I'd be careful going too close to Wolverhampton in a boat named ALBION as you wouldn't want to attract any unwelcome attention from some of the locals

[nicknorman]

Sent off the 17 squids and application form. Eeek, what are we letting ourselves in for!? The clincher was when I got an advance copy of the rules and apparently one gets a bonus point for each "rivet" on one's boat that reaches the end without getting wiped off.

[junior]

Sent off the 17 squids and application form. Eeek, what are we letting ourselves in for!? The clincher was when I got an advance copy of the rules and apparently one gets a bonus point for each "rivet" on one's boat that reaches the end without getting wiped off.

You are encouraging a lot of 'sorry the wind blew me' close shaves from the more competitive amongst us!

[nicknorman]

You are encouraging a lot of 'sorry the wind blew me' close shaves from the more competitive amongst us!

You'll have to catch us first!

[madcat]

I'm at Hawne Basin on Saturday so I will ask about the plans for the end of the challenge. I seem to think there could be a plan . I will report back when I get home on Sunday.

[Nine of Hearts]

Before deciding to move en mass to Ma Pardoe's (which I know to be a very desirable establishment, at least I've been told it is) does anyone know if Hawne Basin are opening their club house for the event. If they're hosting the finish it would be a trifle rude to all disappear immediately. However if they are going to be closed like Longwood was then Ma Pardoe's is an idea.

 

 

Good point. Much as I like being rude, I shall refrain on this occasion, and try to find to find out.

 

Following up, it appears there is very much an open club house and the merry denizens of Hawne wish to welcome us with open arms. There will also be BEER. Sod the point scoring system, that's all I needed to know.

[john6767]

 

 

Following up, it appears there is very much an open club house and the merry denizens of Hawne wish to welcome us with open arms. There will also be BEER. Sod the point scoring system, that's all I needed to know.

That is good to know, the "warm down" in those first few hours after the finish is very important and it needs to be done properly. I guess you will be spending the weekend at Hawne Basin rather than the Manor then!

 

Sent off the 17 squids and application form. Eeek, what are we letting ourselves in for!? The clincher was when I got an advance copy of the rules and apparently one gets a bonus point for each "rivet" on one's boat that reaches the end without getting wiped off.

That's great to hear, I thought that the first time, but it seemed to work out OK.

[Laurie Booth]

Great club at Hawne Basin.

[junior]

Sent off the 17 squids and application form. Eeek, what are we letting ourselves in for!? The clincher was when I got an advance copy of the rules and apparently one gets a bonus point for each "rivet" on one's boat that reaches the end without getting wiped off.

Do Husdons class as 'historic' boats? If so I believe you get extra points!

[nicknorman]

Do Husdons class as 'historic' boats? If so I believe you get extra points!

Classic, yes. Historic, no. But we'd take the extra points anyway.

[Laurie Booth]

Do Husdons class as 'historic' boats? If so I believe you get extra points!

Springer's are classic as well.

[john6767]

Do Husdons class as 'historic' boats? If so I believe you get extra points!

Being picky, it is only "full length working boats" that get extra points per mile at 80/35 (ie they are counted as being effectively 80ft long), so shortened boats and tugs would not get the additional anyway.

 

And just to complete the info a pair gets a maximum 90ft counted, but you do get a point per lock for each boat. So does anyone have a 40ft butty that I can borrow? That is a half serious question.

[Nine of Hearts]

I guess you will be spending the weekend at Hawne Basin rather than the Manor then!

 

Oh no, We will be doing a bit of cruising on Sunday. Perhaps we'll just moor at Withymoor Island and slope in from there. Does anyone know of any good pubs in walking distance?

[nicknorman]

From Withymoor? Presumably you are aware of the uber-pub Ma Pardoes, a 5 min walk from Withymoor? I can personally vouch for the beer!

 

Edited to add: maybe my tongue-in-cheek detector is malfunctioning!

Edited January 17, 2014 by nicknorman

[Laurie Booth]

From Withymoor? Presumably you are aware of the uber-pub Ma Pardoes, a 5 min walk from Withymoor? I can personally vouch for the beer!

Google "The Swan" Netherton.

[Rob-M]

I could well be interested in crewing for someone as I don't think I will be able get my boat there and haven't convinced the Heritage Working Boat Group to do the challenge in one of our working boats. I have some experience of boating round the BCN in both working boats and pleasure boats.

[Mrs Trackman]

Geo map definitely the best one for an overall view of the bcn. Shame the paper quality not great. Also a pity the motorways similar colour to canals.