AllenG

I have a place on the coast here in Georgia. The ones that live amongst the stones in the jetties are flat out brazen. They will until an angler steps away from his tackle box and sneak up and steal his bait. They will also rummage through beach goers' coolers. I've seen more than a few stand down dogs as large as Labradors.

I think the greater danger would be my friend owing back taxes on unreported income given the amount of free rounds he has gotten telling that story.

I fly a Libelle. A buddy was using a black Suburban to pull an ASH 25 through Montana and when he went through a weigh station (in the US truckers, er, lorry drivers, and large trailer are required to check in at various inspection points along the freeways). The officer asked if he had lost his escort. He had no idea what the officer meant but was allowed to continue. A few miles down the road he was greeted by dozens of police cruisers blocking the highway. Long story short, it seems the military transports drones, cruise missiles, and the like in white trailers with a rudder casing on the back, usually behind black suburbans. After convincing the law that he was indeed transporting a sailplane and not an intercontinental ballistic missile they allowed him on his way--with an escort to the state line.

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=68009 ^^^^^ Did you loose them at Guilford Park?

Sorry, I said self employed artist.

On that note, if you were going to go to one boat rally in a year to see the largest verity of narrow boats that one could, to which would you go? Edit, apologies to the OP for hijacking the thread, it was unintentional.

6 months is as along as the Crown will let me stay without being married to a Brit. I toy with the idea of buying a boat and then selling it at a deal of a lifetime cut rate when I'm done. But as a foreigner that's a hell of a lot of risk. Do I buy sight unseen, how do I have a survey done without being there, I don't even want to think about the taxes, what if I can't sell it, etc.? Not that any of that will stop me from looking at boats on Apollo Duck, or Rugby and the like (I've been lurking for a while). I'm going to get a butty buddy pass from my sister and come over this fall or next year and do nothing but look at boats for a week. I think that is the only way for me to really know which way to go.

I'm wanting to do a longer term rental, more than a fortnight. 3-4 months would be ideal. I've been looking at places such as Escape the Rat Race, and looking at the boats on Apollo Duck. A Black Prince holiday is just not going to be long enough for me. I don't just want to pilot a boat for two weeks. I want the opportunity to stop in a town for a week or so, get to know the name whomever is working behind the bar at the local pub before I head out to the next market town, and know England by the time I go home. Backstory: Not married, no kids, self employed artist, house is paid off--so I can justify crazy long holidays. It will be just me for the most part. My sister flies international for Delta, she'll come hang out with me here and there. Back when I was married, once a year the ex and I would do the typical version of an American's European vacation. She would plan them out and I would hate every second of it. For example, our Italy trip was 2 days in Rome, a day in Pisa, a day in Siena, a day in Florence, a day in Venice, fly home out of Milan. All I saw of Italy was the inside of a Fiat Multipla (I guess it could be argued that is better than seeing the outside of a Multipla). I have since learned my lesson and now I'll save up for a few years and stay in one place for as long as I can. Not only do I get to see sights I've never seen before I actually get to know the people, which to me is the better of the two. I went to Paris last year I rented a cheap flat for two months and by the time I left I could speak pidgin French. The trip before that I spent six weeks in Scotland. It takes longer than six weeks to understand a Glaswegian. I've been to London a few times, now I'm wanting to know what England is like on the outside of the Ring Road. Can't think of a better way than at 4mph. And it seems like y'all boat folk are a community unto yourselves, all be it spread out, so there is the community I get to meet. I looking at making the crossing sometime in 2016.

Thank you. I am wanting to do a narrowboat holiday so I'm trying to glean as much info as I may beforehand.

As an American lurker here, I apologize for my countryman's meat substitute post.