Essex Industries

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):

1. 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.
2. 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