How do you feel that the geographic orientation described by Sally affects life on the canals and the relationships that develop there?

Sally describes the narrowboat community as being "rooted in a geography that was defined by its distance end to end rather than by boundaries round a fixed center." How do you feel that geographic orientation affects life on the canals and the relationships that develop there?

I think that for the most part, the narrowboat community is very confined, and the paths the boats take are limited by necessity. You constantly meet the same people all the time, so you get to know something about the other members of the community. It's kind of like a linear neighborhood!

I don't think there are too many of these canal lifestyles in the United States. I live in a suburb of Cleveland and walk frequently by the Erie Canal, but there are no boats on the canal any longer. This lifestyle may well be limited to the UK. I'm not sure on that though.

I suspect that the geographic limitations would mean you may come across the same people but not for long periods of time or frequently. Everyone is having a similar experience on the canals which creates a shared experience and immediate closeness. I’ve traveled in Amsterdam a couple times and it seems a similar experience could be had on its canals although they are not as extensive.