Gunwale is an old nautical term. A wale is a plank on the side of a ship or boat. The top wale on a sailing warship was called the gun wale and was reinforced to carry the stresses imposed by heavy cannon. Typical of nautical terms, it is not pronounced like it is spelled. “Gunnel” is the correct pronunciation. In canoes, it has come to mean the reinforcing strips along the top edge of the boat. Specifically, there are usually two strips, an inwale and an outwale. Continue reading “New Gunwales”