BCN Marathon Challenge 2017

Alex puppy says “night night everyone”

An early finish (10pm!) means a cruel early start tomorrow at 4am – see you all then 🙂

BCN Challenge 2017

Crew (human and canine) fuelled up and hoping for a boost of energy, though the hounds say it’s better to sleep off a big dinner!

Just caught a long piece of carpet round the prop – such fun!

BCN Marathon Challenge

And here we go back up the walsall flight (points both ways)….

Had planned to go to Ocker Hill and back but reports of youths using boats for target practice has sent us scuttling back to the Curly Wyrley for the night 😦

BCN Challenge 2017

Walsall Locks and finally meeting some other competitors

BCN Challenge 2017: Wolverhampton Levels

That sari should clean up nicely 🙂

BCN Challenge 2017: Wolverhampton Levels

The Wednesbury Oak Loop up to Bradley workshops was well worth a visit – hardly any weed though we did pick up a sari!

BCN Challenge 2017 – Factory Locks

Our route has taken us to Factory Locks from the southern portal of the Dudley Tunnel along the scenic Dudley No. 2 to Windmill End. Yesterday Richard did the trip the other way and had no problems, alas we had to go down the weedhatch twice in this section even though it looked pretty clean.

We tried to get to the winding hole at the end of the Bumble Hole, sadly without taking bikes off the roof we won’t fit! Great dog walking all round this area.

Netherton Tunnel was our next call – shafts were raining well today, met one boat and then emerged to turn left for the Factory Locks. We are still way behind schedule but who knows, if we can manage a few sections at 4mph we may catch up as unusually we are doing loads of miles and not that many locks.

The charity page is still running, donations welcome at: https://www.justgiving.com/teams/IndigoDream

 

 

Well we tried to get into the Bumble Hole!

Turning onto the Main Line, this must have been amazing as a working canal

Looking towards Wolverhampton

The crew were very worried by a slow moving boat ahead 🙂

Top of the Factory Locks, charming set of locks, rubbish photo!

 

BCN Challenge 2017

Through Netherton – on the new Main Line, straight and true, going up Factory Locks soon then it’ll be twists and turns all the way 🙂

BCN Challenge 2017: Windmill End and the sun is shining :-)

BCN Challenge: Parkhead Locks

What a morning already! We had stayed overnight at Merry Hill and came up to Park Head this morning.

At Park Head we were No. 2 in the queue for the start, we had difficulties in the bottom lock with shutting the gate but a burst of throttle sorted that. We then had a quick trip up the locks, Park Head is stunning and fascinating. We then had to find a clue and take the obligatory photo in the tunnel narrows, note the hard working crew!

Today’s award for Valour goes to the crew of nb Giddy. As they came into the bottom lock the obstruction drifted back in so they got into the lock to find and clear it.

Climbing up Park Head

Reversing back to the tunnel mouth

Crew not yet realised that they can stop legging!

Crew of nb Giddy clearing the bottom lock. Water was obviously freezing, it was at this point that the guy asked for a longer pole, Christine who was helping did not know what to say.