What Is The Gunwale Of A Canoe?

The gunwale is the top edge or side of a canoe, running along its length and connecting the hull to the gunwales (also known as rails). These long, narrow strips of wood run along the top edge of the canoe. Gunwales are the top rails on each side of the canoe, running the entire length of the boat and joining together at the bow and stern decks. They provide structural integrity to the canoe and serve as a place to mount seats and thwarts.

Canoe manufacturers often offer gunwales in different materials, each with different advantages and disadvantages. A wood gunwale replacement takes roughly eight hours and can reduce the canoe’s weight by at least five pounds. A pair of canoe gunwales in pieces with pre-cut scarf joints can be used as either outwales or inwales. A four-piece gunwale set consists of inners (34 x 78 x length) and outers (58 x 78 x length).

Air-dried wood is used for their strength and durability, as it is easier to bend successfully. Gunwales create a stiff canoe by sandwiching the lamination instead of capping it like a metal mushroom. In modern saltwater fishing boats, gunwales mean the uppermost side of a boat, meaning as full as possible. Gunwales are commonly made from a piece mounted along the sheer inside the boat (inwale) and a similarly mounted outer piece (outwale).