Glossary Of Canoeing Terms:
Aft: The rear part of a canoe or kayak.
Amidships: The area roughly in the center of the canoe lengthwise.
Beam: The widest part of the canoe between the Bow and Stern. The width of a canoe measured at the widest point.
Bent-Shaft Paddle: A canoe paddle with a bend in the shaft (loom), usually at its throat. Increases efficiency (power), with varying compromise in control, depending on degree of bend.
Blade: The wide flat part of the paddle that goes in the water, used for propulsion
Bow: The front end of the canoe.
Broach: Occurs when a canoe becomes caught in the current against an obstruction and turns sideways. Considered very dangerous.
Bulkhead: Sealed compartment fore or aft in a decked canoe or kayak. Primarily required for flotation but also used as storage area.
C-1: One-person canoe usually decked over for Whitewater River running. A C-2 is a two-person canoe, also usually decked over. The paddler kneels in the boat and uses a single bladed paddle.
Canoe: An open craft with pointed ends that are propelled with a single bladed paddle. Also called an "open boat."
Class I-VI: International standard classification system for rating the difficulty Class 4 being the fast-moving water.
Coaming: See Cockpit.
Cockpit: The opening in the deck of a kayak or closed canoe where the paddler sits. The curved lip around its edge, used to secure a spray skirt, is the coaming.
Chute: Area where a river's how is suddenly constricted, compressing and amplifying the current's energy into a narrow tongue of water.
Deck: Closed in area over the bow and/ or stem of a canoe. Sheds water. And, on a canoe, adds strength to the gunwales.
Depth: Vertical measurement from the hull's lowest point to its highest, usually from the top of the gunwale amidships to the floor of the canoe.
Directional Stability: Used to describe tendency of a boat to hold its course.
Downstream Gate: A slalom gate, which is negotiated in the same direction as the flow of the river. Distinguished from an upstream gate by its green and white stripes.
Draw: A stroke pulling in toward the paddler at 90 degrees to the direction of travel. When executed by the bowman of a two-man canoe, it will turn in the boat in the direction of the drawing side.
Draw Stroke: Used to move the boat sideways. Performed by placing the paddle into the water parallel to the boat at an arm's reach away, then pulling boat over to it.
Eddy: A pool of more calm water, which is out of the main current of a stream. Located behind obstacles in the river or near the shore, eddies are likely locations for upstream gates, since the paddlers would not have to battle the full force of the current to move through an upstream gate.
Eskimo Roll: A maneuver performed by a paddler whose boat has rolled, or tipped over. By using the paddle as a brace against the water, the paddler can right himself or herself and continue competing.
Fast and Clean: The goal of a whitewater paddler: to be fast (cover the course as quickly as possible} and clean (to not accumulate penalty points).
Feathered Paddle: A kayak paddle in which the blades are set at an angle to each other in order to present the edge rather than the surface to the wind.
Ferry: A maneuver used to cross a current with little or no downstream travel. Utilizes the current to move boat laterally.
Final Stability: Also called "secondary stability." Describes a boat's resistance to tipping once the boat has been leaned to a point beyond its "initial stability."
Flare: Term used to describe a hull cross section that grows wider as it rises from the waterline toward the gunwales. Progressive widening of the hull from the waterline to the gunwales; serves to deflect water and increase stability
Flatwater: Lake water or slow moving river current with no rapids. A shorthand term, refer to the Olympic discipline of flatwater sprint racing.
Freeboard: The distance between waterline and the gunwales; essentially, how much of the canoe sits above the water. A rule of thumb is about nine inches fully loaded. The vertical distance measured from a boat's waterline to the lowest part of its gunwale.
Grab Loop: Short rope or grab-handle threaded through bow/stern stems of a kayak or canoe.
Gradient: Refers to the steepness of a riverbed over a specified distance, usually per mile. See Class I-VI.
Grip: The ends of a canoe paddle opposite from the blade; should be shaped to fit comfortably into the paddler's hand.
Gunwale: {Pronounced "gunnels"} the upper edge of the boat's side. Inside strips are "inwales;" outside strips are "outwales." Rails along the top edges of the hull running the length of the boat Hull - the main body of the canoe minus any additional parts
Gunwales: Structural supports that run end to end along the top of the hull. Inside strips are "inwales"; outside, "outwales."
Hatch: Access port on front and/or rear deck of a touring or sea kayak.
Hull: The body of a canoe or kayak; the area that has the greatest impact on how the boat and water interact. A flatwater sprint boat's V-shaped hull gives it better tracking, while a whitewater slalom boat's rounded hull makes it more maneuverable
Hull Configuration: Shape of the hull, or that part affected by water, wind, and waves.
Initial Stability: Term used to describe a boat's resistance to leaning ("tippiness").
"J" Stroke: A stroke that ends in a rudder, usually used by sprint canoeists to avoid the need to move the paddle from one side of the boat to the other to maintain a straight-line course.
K-1: One-person kayak. For women's classes, a "W" is added (K-1W).
Kayak: Self-propelled watercraft, which paddler is fully enclosed and uses a double-bladed paddle from a sitting position.
Keel: The ridge running the length of the boat's bottom, which prevents side slipping in the wind or in a lake. Also adds rigidity or structural support to the hull.
Keel Line: The longitudinal shape of the canoe's bottom looking from the side. Shape of the hull bottom running from bow to stern; varies from straight to having extreme curvature or "rocker"
Lay-Up: Manner in which layers of fiberglass or Kevlar matting are placed to make a fiberglass or Kevlar canoe or kayak.
Life Jacket: A personal buoyancy vest required by law for every passenger of all watercraft. See PFD.
Line: The path a whitewater paddler chooses to take through the gates.
Loom: The area of a paddle between the upper grip and the blade. Also called Shaft.
Offside: Side of boat opposite the paddle.
On Side: Side that you're paddling on.
Paddle: Primary tool for propelling canoes/kayaks. See Grip, Loom, Shaft, Blade, Throat, Tip.
Petit-Final: Literally "small final." Used to determine final placement of athletes who do not earn a starting position in the finals of a sprint event.
PFD: Personal Floating Device is the proper name for a Life Jacket as per Coast Guard definition. Law requires it for every passenger of all watercraft and your most important life-saving tool.
Portage: To carry a canoe between bodies of water during the course of a trip
Portaging: Traditional term for carrying boats and gear, usually around a rapid or between lakes.
Pry Stroke: Turning stroke in which the paddle blade is turned sideways alongside the gunwale, then "pried" outward.
Put-In: The starting point of a paddling trip; where the boats are launched into the water.
Rapids: Section of a river where the currents speeds up and flows turbulently over and around boulders, drop-offs, ledges, etc. Also known as whitewater.
Repechage: French for "second chance." This stage of a sprint-racing event permits athletes a second chance to earn a spot in the next round of competition (the semi-finals}.
Ribs: Pieces of material spaced on the inside of a canoe hull to form its frame.
River-Left: On the left side of the river facing downstream. The left side of the river, as it would appear to a paddler facing downstream.
River Right: The right side of the river as it would appear to a paddler facing downstream. Right side of the river facing downstream.
Rocker: Upward curvature of the keel line from the center toward the ends of a boat. Lots of rocker means quick, easy turns.
Roll: A self-rescue technique used to right an overturned kayak or canoe in the water without leaving the boat.
Rudder: Typically a foot-controlled steering device on touring or sea kayaks. Dragging the paddle to create resistance; when executed by the sterns man of a two-man canoe, the boat turns in the direction of the rudder side.
Scouting: Walking ahead on shore to inspect a rapid or other stretch of river.
Secondary Stability: A hull's tendency to stabilize as it's leaned to one side. See Hull Configuration, Initial Stability.
Shaft: The area of a paddle between the upper grip and the blade. Also called Loom.
Skeg: Fixed rudder.
Slalom: Short term for the Olympic discipline of whitewater slalom racing.
Sprint: Shortened term for the Olympic discipline of flatwater sprint racing.
Stern: The back end of the boat. Person in the back controls canoe and sees the back of the person on the bow of the canoe.
Sweep: A stroke made in a broad curve. When executed, the boat turns in the direction opposite the sweeping side.
Sweep Stroke: Used to turn the boat to the offside by reaching out and ahead, then "sweeping" in a wide arc fore to aft.
Take-Out: The ending point of a paddling trip; where the boats are finally taken from the water. See Put-In.
Tandem: Two-person canoe or kayak.
Throat: Junction of paddle shaft and blade.
Thwart: The supporting member extending across the canoe between the gunwales. Cross brace between the gunwales to keep the canoe rigid. The center thwart should be the balance point of the canoe.
Tip: The bottom part of the paddle below the blade.
Tracking: The ability of a boat to hold a straight course due to its hull design.
Trim: A trim boat is level, side-to-side and end-to-end. Achieved by shifting the load or position of the paddlers.
Tumblehome: Term used to describe a hull cross section that curves inward from the waterline toward the gunwales. The inward curve of the hull from its widest point to the gunwales
Upstream Gate: A slalom gate, which must be negotiated against the flow of the river. Distinguished from a downstream gate by its red and white stripes.
Volume: Used to describe overall capacity of a given hull shape.
Waterline: A line reached by the water along the hull of a boat; the shape of the waterline and the handling characteristics of the boat change as the load changes.
The highest point that water reaches on the hull when the canoe is in the water
Whitewater: Turbulent, heavily aerated water in a river caused by its flowing around or over obstacles in the current. Also short term to refer to the Olympic discipline of whitewater slalom racing.
Yoke: A thwart that is shaped so as to allow the canoe to be carried on the shoulders during a portage. A padded, modified thwart used as a shoulder rest to carry the canoe overhead.
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