Oeystein

I think you will find that the difference in going on a holiday with girls of the age you mention and going on a holiday with a boy is like converting from an old Land Rover with unsynch gearbox to a Mercedes 500 SLC Automatic..... Looking foreward to a trip report, have nice weekend

I fully agree with Dor! I think what you have here is a wonderful opportunity to get to know your grandchild. You obviously have had children yourselves, this one is no different. If he doesn't understand "no", you also have a golden opportunity, children are much like dogs (which you probably also know about), it only takes about half an hour and a little effort. Would advice against giving him chocolate, though

A rottweiler? (The dog, not the woman). The boat I'm speaking of had one, even more openly hostile than the owner.

I have just returned from my third narrowboat holiday and it was a good holiday as ever. This in spite of numerous chavs, yobs, lagerlouts and various other human forms (including the three rockthrowers and their retarded mother at Preston Brook). Not always pleasant, but something one has to accept and live with. As other has pointed out in this forum; "smile to the world and it doesn't throw bottles at you" Strange though that the only real bad experience was from "fellow" boaters. We had been up to Worsley and was cruising south on The bridgewater just south of Barton. There was no traffic, no moored boats, the canal is deep and wide, so I wasn't to concerned when my GPS showed speeds between 4 and 4,5 mph. There was no wash and very little wake. In the distance I spotted two boats, also going south, which I gained upon very fast. Their speed was around 2,5 mph. They were in company and they were talking to each other and apparently had a nice day out on the canals. I kept my speed and started to overtake them well to their port side, both of them was close to the towpath. When I was abreast of the second boat, both boats gave full throttle and pulled away ahead of me. I slowed down and pulled in behind them, deciding that passing wasn't that important once they had increased their speed. But, at the instant I was behind them, they again reduced speed, again to 2,5 mph . The boats looked old and scruffy and smelled like they were running on old rubber tyres, so a little angry I decided to pass them whatever it took. The same happended this time, but my engine proved the healthiest. I finally managed to pass them both just north of the bend at Kelloggs, this time we had three boats doing much more than 4-4,5mph. OF COURSE I should have gone with less than 4 mph the first time and OF COURSE I should have signalled for permission to pass, but the helmsman on the second boat stood and looked directly at me when I aproached and somehow I don't think I would have gotten a friendly wave to pass. (I had tried a cheerful "good morning" to the same gentleman that same morning when we were moored at the same place without getting any sort of reply or recognition) I guess this is the exeption to the rule that all boaters are nice people, perhaps they should be wearing 1 % badges and leather vests, much the same as the bad bikers. Of course, beeing a guest in a foreign country one should be quiet and polite, but this one I had to get of my chest. Next year we'll be going for two weeks instead of just one