BCN Challenge 2016

[Dave_P]

That's right by my office. I'll keep an eye out.

[Tim Carter]

Thoroughly enjoyed the BCN Challenge 2016 with William and Gosport www.inlandnavigators.co.uk
Many thanks to the BCNS www.bcnsociety.co.uk

Edited June 1, 2016 by Tim Carter

[Dave_P]

Been thinking about Odana's walking exploits this year. I completely agree that the challenge provides a great opportunity to introduce the wider public to the BCN, which can only be a good thing. So, I'm wondering about kayaking it next year...

[RLWP]

Been thinking about Odana's walking exploits this year. I completely agree that the challenge provides a great opportunity to introduce the wider public to the BCN, which can only be a good thing. So, I'm wondering about kayaking it next year...

I think walking or kayaking are great additions to the challenge, they need to be discussed with John and Roy though. They will need help managing additional competitions

 

Richard

[Mrs Tawny Owl]

Thoroughly enjoyed the BCN Challenge 2016 with William and Gosport www.inlandnavigators.co.uk

Many thanks to the BCNS www.bcnsociety.co.uk

Very much enjoyed being woken to the gentle tones of the engine as you left on Monday morning, better then the alarm lock on Sunday!

 

Sue

[Dave_P]

I think walking or kayaking are great additions to the challenge, they need to be discussed with John and Roy though. They will need help managing additional competitions

 

Richard

I wasn't thinking of being competitive. Just enjoy a nice paddle and stay well out of the way of the proper boats. I suppose a kayak would be able to score points but not for locks, since I'd get out and carry it.

[RLWP]

I wasn't thinking of being competitive. Just enjoy a nice paddle and stay well out of the way of the proper boats. I suppose a kayak would be able to score points but not for locks, since I'd get out and carry it.

My guess is you could cover a lot more canal in a kayak than a powered boat.

 

Richard

[Dave_P]

My guess is you could cover a lot more canal in a kayak than a powered boat.

 

Richard

Unfair advantage perhaps? Maybe a lilo then?

[RLWP]

Unfair advantage perhaps? Maybe a lilo then?

 

Not at all. My thought was there could be a separate unpowered category. Like walkers, kayaks have the potential to do quite a different challenge, even covering parts powered boats cannot reach

 

Richard

[Dave_P]

 

Not at all. My thought was there could be a separate unpowered category. Like walkers, kayaks have the potential to do quite a different challenge, even covering parts powered boats cannot reach

 

Richard

Which parts? I can think of some short stubs like the Gospel Oak arm.

[RLWP]

Which parts? I can think of some short stubs like the Gospel Oak arm.

 

Dunno - I did four bits of the BCN I hadn't done before this year

 

Anson branch if you used a scythe

 

Richard

[Tom and Bex]

Which parts? I can think of some short stubs like the Gospel Oak arm.

Ridgeacre branch? Wednesbury Old canal from Ryders Green to winding hole by spine road? Cape arm? (Probably not allowed to go under guillotine gate though!)

 

Sure there must be others but those are on my list I'm considering doing by dinghy.

 

Tom

[Tom and Bex]

Some brief thoughts about this year, I think firefly will do quite well - they did much of the route we'd planned until we got held up at Walsall locks. Only real problems we encountered were being delayed at Walsall when Dove got stuck in lock 2, and Titford pools.

 

We got stuck in the middle of the small pool at Titford (due to lack of depth!) and picked up a long coil of rope coming out the large pool. The whole length from the pump house to the pools was also very shallow & slow going compared to how I remember it from November.

 

The best bits for us was the weather! Also the welcome we received at Ocker Hill on Friday, the beautifully clear water up to Anglesey, and the amazing welcome and spread of food we received again at Hawne Basin. And the beer didn't run out! We also managed Ryders Green locks without getting stuck on shopping trolleys under Wellington foot bridge (although there were still several there).

 

We're currently enjoying a relaxing week or so cruising the BCN with no time pressures to worry about! Enjoying spending some quality time together now we've got our boat back to ourselves! It's lovely having visitors on-board but equally nice to have the space again when they leave.

 

We have lots of photos from the weekend but will sort them out and post some here in a week or so when we get back. We're just going to relax and enjoy our holiday until then!

 

Tom

[MoominPapa]

I think next year Tawny will need a butty for extra crew else we'll be operating first come first served!

 

Looks like we were lucky to get to the finish. We filled up with diesel before we left Hawne Basin, which we always do as it's such a reasonable price, and now a good quantity of it is in the bottom of the dry dock at Glascote basin

 

It appears Tawny has taken advantage of arriving somewhere competent and decided it's a good time to point out some of her problems.

A case of while I'm in here for blacking could you just?

Diesel is dripping down her rudder tube so we think it's rusted through after only 27 years.

 

So we are awaiting finding out whats wrong and what's need to fix her, not a good end to a very good weekend, but we did have her in the dry dock before it started to rain yesterday.

 

Sue

 

Tawny didn't let us down. She knows about the Challenge.

 

She'll be right as rain again soon.

 

MP.

[Richard Fairhurst]

Which parts? I can think of some short stubs like the Gospel Oak arm.

 

Who said you can't do that in a narrowboat?

 

 

Some of the isolated bits of the system could be interesting to do in a kayak - I think parts of the Wyrley Bank Branch are still in water, for example. And given that Titford Pumphouse is next year's terminus, I wonder how far you could get along the Tat Bank Branch?

[Peter X]

It would be fun to do the Challenge in a camping punt (poles and paddles only, no outboard), picking a route to avoid the long tunnels and hoping not to get too much rain. Either single handed or more likely with a crew of two, who might have to be a couple. They might not be by the end of the weekend. It's quite possible to take a punt through locks if you stay well away from the gates, I did it on the Thames at Oxford, so if someone who's been to Cambridge fancies a contest within the Challenge and the boats can be hired I might just take them up on it... or common sense might prevail and I'd do it with the NBT again.

[Victor Vectis]

It would be fun to do the Challenge in a camping punt (poles and paddles only, no outboard), picking a route to avoid the long tunnels and hoping not to get too much rain. Either single handed or more likely with a crew of two, who might have to be a couple. They might not be by the end of the weekend. It's quite possible to take a punt through locks if you stay well away from the gates, I did it on the Thames at Oxford, so if someone who's been to Cambridge fancies a contest within the Challenge and the boats can be hired I might just take them up on it... or common sense might prevail and I'd do it with the NBT again.

Common sense and the BCN Challenge. Hmmmmmm, now there's an interesting combination!

 

 

The Isle of Wight section of TRW deposited t'boat back at Lapworth and got home last night.

Once again great fun was had by all and we say a BIG "Well done" and "Thank you" to all involved in the organisation.

 

An email from John says:

Next years BCNS Challenge is scheduled for Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th May.

Please make a note in your diary for reasons that will be explained shortly we intend to make this a very special event.

Anyone any idea what the 'very special event' is all about?

 

Edited June 2, 2016 by Victor Vectis

[Ray T]

 

Common sense and the BCN Challenge. Hmmmmmm, now there's an interesting combination!

 

 

The Isle of Wight section of TRW deposited t'boat back at Lapworth and got home last night.

Once again great fun was had by all and we say a BIG "Well done" and "Thank you" to all involved in the organisation.

 

An email from John says:

Next years BCNS Challenge is scheduled for Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th May.

Please make a note in your diary for reasons that will be explained shortly we intend to make this a very special event.

Anyone any idea what the 'very special event' is all about?

 

 

 

245 years since the Birmingham Canal, the first to be built, was completed?

 

233 years since the BCN company was formed?

Edited June 2, 2016 by Ray T

[RLWP]

THis just in from Brenda of the BCNS:

 

 

Joey.png

 

Anyone notice a stray Joey?

 

Richard

 

This boat has been found, it was hanging around the top of Brades

 

Richard

[Graham and Jo]

Here are the time lapse videos from Dotterel. The camera decided to film it in 7 sections - quite why I'm not sure but it does make it easier to view. I also forgot to set the date and time properly. It is better than last years as I set the interval and replay settings differently. The recording is 1 frame a second and replay is 20 frames a second. For next year I need to fix the issue surrounding the reflection of the camera in the glass.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeMM_JqlP8o

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV50p6DUeH0

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udxCuN8QgcM

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY10ydWfrrs

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoUU1LdSuyk

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNRBMJ46ID0

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcO5Rq784_o

 

Cheers Graham

[Odana]

 

Common sense and the BCN Challenge. Hmmmmmm, now there's an interesting combination!

 

 

The Isle of Wight section of TRW deposited t'boat back at Lapworth and got home last night.

Once again great fun was had by all and we say a BIG "Well done" and "Thank you" to all involved in the organisation.

 

An email from John says:

Next years BCNS Challenge is scheduled for Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th May.

Please make a note in your diary for reasons that will be explained shortly we intend to make this a very special event.

Anyone any idea what the 'very special event' is all about?

 

 

 

Oh no!! We will not be around next year for whatever it is. We'll be walking across Northern Spain - the next challenge.

 

I'll do my best to stir up some trouble though - let's see if we can clog the BCN up with walkers and runners and kayakers, and even, god forbid, the odd cyclist, to appreciate the place. As someone suggested on Saturday, kids on foot or with stabilisers get bonus points.

[Laurie Booth]

Link to photographs of the challenge

 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131889706@N06/albums/72157668820600731/page1/

 

First 2 pictures by Dave Paine

 

Edited June 3, 2016 by Laurie.Booth

[David Mack]

 

Who said you can't do that in a narrowboat?

 

 

Some of the isolated bits of the system could be interesting to do in a kayak - I think parts of the Wyrley Bank Branch are still in water, for example. And given that Titford Pumphouse is next year's terminus, I wonder how far you could get along the Tat Bank Branch?

Do the rules allow you to do the challenge in 2 boats - a narrow boat (or cruiser) to do the main navigable sections and a canoe/dinghy/punt to do the isolated or barely naviagble bits?

[Dave_P]

Link to photographs of the challenge

 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/131889706@N06/albums/72157668820600731/page1/

 

First 2 pictures by Dave Paine

 

My intellectual property lawyers will be in touch

[Laurie Booth]

My intellectual property lawyers will be in touch