Fly Boat Run 6th to 9th May

[Tim Lewis]

Does anybody know anything about this ?

Notice Alert

Location: Oxford Canal to the Paddington Arm, London

Wednesday 6 May 2015 until Saturday 9 May 2015 23:59

Type: Event

Original message:

A motorboat and butty challenge is to take place from Napton Junction, Oxford Canal heading South to Bulls Bridge Junction on the Paddington Arm, London.

The event will start Wednesday 6th with the hope of finishing Saturday 9th May.

Please be advised the craft involved will be navigating during the night.

 

 

Tim

[b0atman]

Observing all speed guidelines ! life is not a race.

[matty40s]

I wonder if this is Kangaroo and Australia, they came past me the other day at Hillmorton headed South.

 

I would say Wed night Milton Keynes, Thursday night Cowroast, Friday night Ricky Sat night Paddington.

Edited April 30, 2015 by matty40s

[valrene9600]

I wonder if this is Kangaroo and Australia, they came past me the other day at Hillmorton headed South.

They were heading for cavalcade at little Venice.

[mark99]

I hope they realise that the Oxford is a CLAY soup rather than a canal. Especially at Napton. I mean we are only 27ins draft but are ploughing a furrow in the mud !

[junior]

Considering it is an 'event' it doesn't seem to have been published at all.

 

I wonder which pair it will be?

[Athy]

I wonder if this is Kangaroo and Australia, they came past me the other day at Hillmorton headed South.

 

I would say Wed night Milton Keynes, Thursday night Cowroast, Friday night Ricky Sat night Paddington.

Not unless they take a wrong turning, as the notice says that they will be going down the Oxford.

[James Owen]

Not unless they take a wrong turning, as the notice says that they will be going down the Oxford.

The notice says they will start on the Oxford, not necessarily complete the run on it!!

[Athy]

The notice says they will start on the Oxford, not necessarily complete the run on it!!

Not nessercelery, James. It says "Oxford Canal to the Paddington Arm". To me that means that they are taking the Oxford Canal route and will finish at the Paddington Arm. But I admit that it has scope for ambiguity, not helped by the use of the word "location" rather than "route".

[mark99]

We passed this pair a few days back ..near Wilton Buckby they were heading south.

[alan_fincher]

We passed this pair a few days back ..near Wilton Buckby they were heading south.

 

I can't see how that can be this event - 6th to 9th May!

I hope they realise that the Oxford is a CLAY soup rather than a canal. Especially at Napton. I mean we are only 27ins draft but are ploughing a furrow in the mud !

 

 

Not unless they take a wrong turning, as the notice says that they will be going down the Oxford.

 

 

Not nessercelery, James. It says "Oxford Canal to the Paddington Arm". To me that means that they are taking the Oxford Canal route and will finish at the Paddington Arm. But I admit that it has scope for ambiguity, not helped by the use of the word "location" rather than "route".

 

Napton to Braunstopn IS the Oxford Canal, and has Oxford Canal Bridge Numbers.

 

I tyhink they would struggle to do this via Oxford itself in 3 days! It clearly means the Grand Union route, surely?

[alan_fincher]

Observing all speed guidelines ! life is not a race.

 

Unfortunately some previous attempts at maintaining anything like an original commercial schedule have in the past upset quite a few people.

 

Some years of the "Jam Ole" did this, (although any I observed the crews were acting very responsibly).

 

Clearly it will not appeal to those who insist that every boat must be passed at tick-over, and, indeed I'm not sure it could be achieved if this were insisted upon.

 

I'm somewhat of a working boat nut, but do wonder if these kind of events don;t upset more people than they please.

 

A difficult one, for me, but I hope whoever does it doesn't bring about even more anti working boat hysteria.

[Athy]

 

even more anti working boat hysteria.

Even more? Surely most people like them and enjoy seeing them.

 

 

 

Except when one is coming at you unladen round a blind bend...

Edited May 1, 2015 by Athy

[alan_fincher]

Even more? Surely most people like them and enjoy seeing them.

 

 

 

Except when one is coming at you unladen round a blind bend...

 

As long as we don't set Dave Mayall off on one of his 'working boats "private playground'" rants.

 

(Although to be fair to Dave, I'm not sure he has had one for a while).

[cotswoldsman]

I can't see how that can be this event - 6th to 9th May!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Napton to Braunstopn IS the Oxford Canal, and has Oxford Canal Bridge Numbers.

 

I tyhink they would struggle to do this via Oxford itself in 3 days! It clearly means the Grand Union route, surely?

Learn something every day I always thought Wigram to Braunston was Grand Union

[mark99]

Learn something every day I always thought Wigram to Braunston was Grand Union

So did I. Only I might add, by looking at our guide.

 

We resorted to a forward look out on the bank last two days on some of the bends after encountering too many boats going way too fast around the blind Oxford bends.

 

One boater confidently shouted no one behind and guess what the very next bend a boat shot through. Luckily the lookout saved the day.

Edited May 1, 2015 by mark99

[matty40s]

That was the short section used by both canals, the Oxford company managing to charge high tolls for it, thus ensuring it's company stayed in rude health even though most of the London/Midlands traffic switched to the Grand Junction for most of the journey.

[onionbargee]

What do they mean "challenge" ?

[cuthound]

What do they mean "challenge" ?

Probably because of the lack of dredging

[alan_fincher]

What do they mean "challenge" ?

 

Presumably to complete it in the time they have said?

 

If they are planning to use the whole of each of the 4 days stated, it would seem to mean travelling about 11 or 12 hours each day, (so night-time travel not strictly necessary?).

 

End of day points maybe somewhere like....

 

1) Bottom of Stoke

2) Ivinghoe

3) Apsley

4) Bulls Bridge (The barrel run from Brentford to Boxmoor I believe was often done in a day, so Apsley to Southall should be a relative doddle )

 

(Not very close to Matty's estimates though!

[nipper]

Weren't fly boats pulled along by galloping horses??

 

If so, do hope CaRT will be adding water to the canals to replace the amount that will be washed over the tow paths, and indeed, moored boats!

 

I'm heading slowly down to London "to see the Queen", it looks like I'll be even slower now!

 

Nipper

[alan_fincher]

Weren't fly boats pulled along by galloping horses??

 

If so, do hope CaRT will be adding water to the canals to replace the amount that will be washed over the tow paths, and indeed, moored boats!

 

I'm heading slowly down to London "to see the Queen", it looks like I'll be even slower now!

 

Nipper

 

Errm,

 

Loaded working boats used to routinely cover London to Birmigham in just 5 days, so Napton to London in 4 is a considerably relaxed schedule compared to that.

 

Around 12 hour days ought to make it possiblr, even with the vastly increased numbers of moored boats now about.

 

I say "ought", because (in my opinion!) some involved in these kind of activities act totally responsibly, whereas others seem to think it acceptable to go about it in a way that upsets people.

 

I can't condone those who have ex working boats behaving in a way that pees people off, but the better, more experienced crews are perfectly capable of doing this with no tidal waves over tow-paths, or boats set adrift.

 

EDIT: And "running fly" was a term that continued to be used for boats working at speed, that were given priority over others, long after diesel engines had largely taken over from horses...

Edited May 1, 2015 by alan_fincher

[Leo No2]

It's Ferrous with the butty Susan - just through Stoke Bruerne top at 17:50 this evening having left Birmingham 24 hours ago. Aiming for London in 56 hours elapsed time since leaving Birmingham.

 

Edited May 7, 2015 by Leo No2

[alan_fincher]

So it's a modern RW Davies "Northwich Trader" (with a full cabin on) for the "motor", then?

 

And "Susan" - is that a modern boat as well? - it looks like it has accommodation under the cloths?

 

Not quite what the initial information might have implied, but at least they will have all modern conveniences to allow one crew to be comfortably at rest, whilst another carries on.

 

Probably pump-out as well, so no inconvenient stopping to empty any cassettes!

[ditchcrawler]

So it's a modern RW Davies "Northwich Trader" (with a full cabin on) for the "motor", then?

 

And "Susan" - is that a modern boat as well? - it looks like it has accommodation under the cloths?

 

Not quite what the initial information might have implied, but at least they will have all modern conveniences to allow one crew to be comfortably at rest, whilst another carries on.

 

Probably pump-out as well, so no inconvenient stopping to empty any cassettes!

Both 62 footers by the look of Nick's data base. Saw them on the Shropshire Union the other week at Streton Wharf