Boat Design
It can feel challenging to decide on which boat is best for you. A boat’s design directly impacts how it handles on the water. A boat that is built for speed allows you to paddle fast with less effort, whereas a boat built for maneuverability makes turns quickly and easily. Understanding the different design elements will help you narrow down your options and make a more informed decision. The most apparent characteristics of our different models are length, beam, and profile, but understanding terms like tracking and initial stability are also important. Below, we have a brief description of these characteristics as well as a list of terminology to help you compare the options, so you may get that perfect fit.
Beam: The width of the boat at its widest point.
Belly: The bottom of the boat.
Bow: The front end of the boat.
Capacity: The maximum possible weight (including the paddler, all gear, and additional passengers) the boat is designed for
Draft: The vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull.
Deck: Panels attached to the inwales at the bow and stern ends of the boat.
Flotation: Buoyant material set into the ends (or the seat in our case) of a boat to make it float if flipped.
Free board: Distance between the gunwale and waterline at the lowest point.
Foot-brace: A bar against which a paddler braces his or her feet. Foot-braces help the paddler engage their lower body, leading to a more efficient stroke.
Fullness: Shape of boat determined by how quickly the hull widens. A full boat widens sooner and stays wide longer.
Gunwales: (aka gunnels) The top finished edges of a boat. Also referred to as rails.
Hull: Frame or body of the boat.
Initial/Primary Stability: Steadiness when upright and paddled under calm conditions. What paddlers typically “feel” upon first getting into a boat.
Inwale: Inside top finished edge of a boat.
Keel Line: Center line of the boat running from bow to stern along the belly of the boat.
Outwale: The outside top finished edge of a boat.
Profile: The distance from the top of the gunnels to the bottom of the boat when measured at the beam (sometimes called center depth, as opposed to the depth at the ends of the boat).
Rails: The gunwales (gunnels) of a boat.
Rocker: Indicates curvature of the keel line.
Secondary/Final stability: The resistance to capsizing in wind, waves or lean. What it really takes to flip over the boat
Stems: Finished edge/piece in the bow and stern ends of a boat.
Stern: The rear end of the boat.
Thwarts: Crossbars toward the bow and stern of the boat. Structurally maintains the boat’s shape.
Trim(boat): The difference in the draft at the bow from that at the stern of a boat, and also side to side, when a boat is loaded. A properly trimmed boat will sit dead level in the water.
Trim(wood):How a boat's edges are finished or decorated (ex. the beautiful oil rubbed black cherry gunwales on our boats are often called trim)
Tracking: The ease with which a boat can be paddled along a straight line.
Waterline: The place to which water comes on the hull of the boat when it is set in the water.
Yoke: A strong crossbar at the balance point of the boat designed for carrying the boat on the shoulders. Often includes two yoke pads for more comfort.