otnmbrd wrote:


Gary Warner wrote:

Ok, in another thread a question I always have
came up. Someone was helpful and corrected me
from "gunnel" to "gunwhale".

So, what IS a gunwhale?

Here is a definition I found googeling:
The name (pronounced GUN'L) given to the uppermost line of planking of a
boat's sides. In the old ships the upper tier of guns used to fire
over the
top planking which was therefore specially strengthened by "whales".

So, lets say on my boat. Which of the following is the gunwhale
and what is the other one called??

A) It's a lapstrake hull. So each next higher "plank" overlaps the
one below it. At the top of the side of the hull the last plank is
basically
perpendicular to the floor / water.


This would be the Sheer strake


B) Then, at a 90 degree angle to that last "plank" there is another
part of
the
boat. That part is about 8" wide. It' where one could step with one foot
while boarding the boat.


G I'd just call that a deck


Are these both part of the gunwhale?


In a way, yes. The gunwale would be the "line" where the two meet.
Possibly a better way to visualize it would be to look at a rowboat or
canoe ... that upper line of the hull from bow to stern would be the gun'l.

otn


What's a proper or descriptive term for B? I've been calling it
the "upper side deck" (as opposed to the decking on the bow or
the decking on the stern).


I know it seems like a silly question but....

Thanks,
Gary




A waling is a horizontal structural member, lots of structures refer to
the horizontals as walings, mostly marine but some landbased & most
horizontals below the decking on wharves are still referred to as walings.

In olden ships the gun decks (where the cannon lived) had "walings"
(usually with ports to shoot through or oops:-) & they were mostly
towards the upper freeboard, hence it was actually the gun wales.

Now pretty much gun'l

K