I think I have used usual narrowboat terms. They were really designed for landlubbers. The reason it is called a towpath is that they were, literally, originally towed, by a pair of horses. They were the main Victorian means of industrial delivery and were obsolete almost as soon as locks were invented and canals dug - because the railway came in.

Because the canals are narrow and the boats slow, almost at any moment while you are cruising you could drop a passenger. When I am doing the run to the pub at Thrupp - about 3 miles down the canal and onto the River Cherwell, sometimes I do drop my passengers - and they generally arrive before I do, since walking is actually faster.

So narrowboaters have only partially adopted your seafaring lingo. They never speak of port and starboard, but only left and right. The terms fore and aft are not used, though they do talk of bow and stern. Saloon is the term for living room, and galley and kitchen are equally common. The loo is never the head, and doors are doors. There is no below, because there are lots of places where the canals are only waist deep and you have to duck to get under the bridges.

MLS - Any time you can get away from those kids and grandkids and hubby and daddy and sister, you are welcome. Otherwise I’ll have to make my way to Texas…

You use an interesting mix of nautical and landlubber words. Galley and saloon, check. Front doors and toilet? Oh noes! Companionway and heads, respectively, on our sailboat. And my poor husband is jeered when he talks about going downstairs, instead of down below. Not sure what to call the bathroom, which I do envy you, by the way.

Do you ever have critters come aboard at night? We’re always wary about docking close to trees, here in Ontario, after we came back from the pub one night and found a skunk curled up on the foredeck. Fortunately, he/she took one look at us and scarpered, so no harm done, although we could still get a whiff of our visitor days later.