Hi, Your comments are always most welcome
Hi Sue, Vic and Lucy,
We're back from our trip to Monterey and Las Vegas. We had a really good time in Monterey at the doll auction, and enjoyed our trip to the Modern Doll Convention in Las Vegas. Although the the Stardust hotel is pretty run down, and I guess they are going to tear it down in November, it was fun none the less.
Sharlene had a bit of a hard time since she is still recovering from the surgery, but she made the most of the doll shows and is now happy to be back home. I passed your good wishes on to her prior to the trip, and she was very happy you were thinking of her.
Glad to see you have made it back to the canals. I wanted you to know that I have read that Kelston Lock on the K&A will be closed from October 9th until the end of the month. Also, because of an accident which damaged one of the locks on the Caen Flight this part of the K&A will also be closed for a while. I hope that these two closures don't interfere with your plans. The two notices about the closures are posted on Narrowboat World.
Hope you are having a good day and that the tunnel at Blisworth doesn't give you too much of a fright. Best wishes, and it's great to be back.
Mark
Hi Sue,
MOre on the Caen hill situation from british waterways:
"Caen Hill Lock 40: Stoppage (27 Sep 06 until further notice): One of the bottom gates has been damaged by a boat. The gates will now have to be replaced. The Caen Hill flight will be
closed with immediate effect. New gates will be manufactured and installed within the next 4-5 weeks. Engineers from British Waterways are currently investigating options for craning craft
owned by commercial operators (such as hire boats) around the stoppage at Caen Hill. Further information will be posted here as soon as possible. Please contact British Waterways South West on 01452 318000 if you need further information."
Someone didn't stop in time I guess..... Do you have to have Third Party insurance on the canals? I imagione a new pair of gates plus fitting would dent anyones bank balance....
Best wishes
Hi F O R,
Fromm www.waterscape.com:
Insurance
You also need to arrange third party insurance for at least £1,000,000. This will safeguard the owner or person in charge of the boat from claims made against you for injury or damage. You may choose to take out a comprehensive policy to cover your own boat and crew.
We are going home for Christmas for the first time since we moved to CA.
How long will you be on the K&A?
We had a hire boat there for a week in 2002, really beautiful scenery.
ttfn jane
Mark,
So pleased you had a great time, and pleased too that Sharlene managed the trip and enjoyed herself. I do hope she is resting now. Did you bid and win any dolls at the auction? The tunnel we have to go through Mark is Braunston tunnel.. Blisworth tunnel is 'turn left at Gayton Junction' we turned right 
Mark and Ron,
Thanks for that information, neither of those locks will be in our way as we make our way to the Kennet & Avon for November..
Ron, yes we have to have third party insurance. A lot of the time when gaves are damaged the boat involved with that will be well gome unless of course they are stuck within the structure! 
I didn't look at the report of the accident so I don't know if the offending boat has been caught for having to pay for new gates.. Let's hope he was and that he had a licence! 
Alex.. Thanks for that, yes another expense.. to get a licence you have to have insurance and a boat safety certificate if your boat is over 3 years old.. it does become costly, maybe that is why I saw sooooooo many unlicenced boats today.. if I have an accident with one of them and it is their fault there will be no insurance to pay for my damage.. 
Jane,
We will be on the K&A from November until March including Christmas. We will go to Bath and back during that time stopping here and there for a week or so.. it all slows down a bit in the winter, No Problem is too cosy inside to even think about going outside to travel along and do locks!
