Missing the BCN Challenge

Missing the BCN Challenge

May 2014

I never went to University, and for three years from age 18 to 21 I rather wistfully watched my friends come and go from far flung destinations wondering if I had made the right decision. 

Blue Nun - the last entrant and the first to arrive on Saturday morning

I feel a bit the same about the BCN Challenge, a 24 hour endurance race round the BCN. I was a participant in 2011 and 2012 but missed 2013 on account of exhibiting at Crick. Roll forward to 2014 and Wand'ring Bark was unavailable as she is on her way to Etruria laden with a ton of jam for the festival next weekend, crewed by Mr Truth and his lady wife Les.

Titford Pumphouse meeting room

I suppose I could have crewed for another boat but the arrival of Montgomery and the opportunity to spend some concentrated time fixing her up ready for the Birmingham Floating Market was too much. And then there was the long awaited photographic workshop which was being held on the same day. Something had to give.

I am not sure that seeing a clutch of boats coming up the Titford flight helped much, It was a bit like those student returning for the holidays. It just serves to highlight what you are missing. However, the silver lining in this particular cloud was the fact the the said cloud was busy discharging a months worth of rain onto an unsuspecting Birmingham in 12 hours flat. I experienced conditions like this on the 2012 Challenge and even for a die hard canal enthusiast like me, boating lost is appeal.

Winding the Joey

The event did offer a clutch of interesting photo opportunities not included in yesterdays post.

So this post is a tribute to all those 48 hardy Challengers who have been bringing the BCN to life in the most atrocious conditions.