Loading AI tools
Top edge of the hull of a ship or boat From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The gunwale (/ˈɡʌnəl/) is the top edge of the hull of a ship or boat.[1]
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2014) |
.png)
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".
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[citation needed]—a narrow ledge running the full length of the craft.
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
