What is a canoe?
Dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/canoe):
n. a light narrow boat with both ends sharp that is usually propelled by paddling.
Merriam-Webster.com (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canoe):
- any of various slender, open boats, tapering to a point at both ends, propelled by paddles or sometimes sails and traditionally formed of light framework covered with bark, skins, or canvas, or formed from a dug-out or burned-out log or logs, and now usually made of aluminum, fiberglass, etc.
- any of various small, primitive light boats.
What makes up a canoe?
- Gunwale: top edge extending around the canoe from bow to stern
- Beam: point of greatest width
- Bow: front of the canoe
- Deck: wood pieces fitted between gunwales at the extreme canoe ends
- Freeboard: portion of the hull between gunwales and waterline
- Hull: body of canoe
- Keel: outer strip on bottom of canoe in the center, extending from bow to stern
- Painter: rope attached to bow and stern
- Planking: flat sections of wood forming the hull, fitted lengthwise
- Ribs: curved pieces of wood on planking, running crosswise
- Thwart: crosswise supports between gunwales which help canoe maintain shape