Gunwale

The gunwale (/ˈɡʌnəl/) is the top edge of the hull of aship or boat.[1]

Originally the structure was the "gun wale" on a sailing warship, a horizontal
reinforcing band added at and above the level of a gun deck to offset the stresses
created by firing artillery.

Over time it remained as a valuable stiffener mounted inboard of the sheer strake on
commercial and recreational craft. In modern boats, it is the top edge of the hull
where there is usually some form of stiffening, often in the form of traditional
wooden boat construction members called the "inwale" and "outwale". Gunwale of the Cutty Sark

On a canoe, the gunwale is typically the widened edge at the top of its hull,
reinforced with wood, plastic or aluminum, to carry the thwarts.

On a narrowboat or canal boat, the gunwale is synonymous with the side deck- a narrow ledge running the full length of the craft.

References
1. "gunwale" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gunwale). Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Merriam-Webster
Incorporated. Retrieved 16 July 2013.

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This page was last edited on 1 February 2019, at 06:19(UTC).

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