Learn the Parts of a Kayak, Canoe or Rowboat

You need to know the basic terms before you can learn to paddle or row well. Once you know the parts of your kayak, canoe or rowboat, instructions are easier to follow, safety briefings make more sense, and everyone in the boat can work together.

• Parts of a Canoe
• Parts of a Kayak
• Parts of a Rowboat

BASIC BOAT TERMS

On any boat or ship, the front is called the bow and the back is called the stern. When you face forward (toward the bow, not aft), the port side is on your left and the starboard side is on your right. Amidships is the middle section. Seats are named for where they sit: bow, stern or midship.

PARTS OF A CANOE

The top edges of a canoe are the gunwales (pronounced “gunnels”). They stiffen the boat and keep the sides from flexing. The crossbars called thwarts (pronounced “thorts”) do the same job. Deck plates at the bow and stern finish off the ends of the canoe and add strength.

The cross-section diagram shows the terms that describe a canoe’s shape and how it sits in the water:

• Beam: The width of the canoe at its widest point.
• Depth: The height from the bottom of the hull to the gunwales.
• Waterline: The line where the water meets the hull.
• Freeboard: The distance from the waterline up to the gunwale. More freeboard means less chance of taking on water.
• Draft: The distance from the waterline down to the bottom of the boat, or how deep the canoe sits in the water.
• Tumblehome: The inward curve of the sides near the gunwales. It makes reaching over the side to paddle easier.

Parts of a Canoe Paddle

The blade is the wide part at the end of the paddle that pulls the canoe through the water. Keep it just below the surface while you paddle.

• Grip: The handle at the top of the paddle.
• Shaft: The long, narrow section between the grip and the blade.
• Throat: The point where the shaft widens into the blade.
• Blade: The wide, flat part that moves the water.
• Tip: The bottom edge of the blade.

Hold a canoe paddle with one hand on the grip and the other just above the throat.

PARTS OF A KAYAK

A kayak shares many terms with a canoe, but you sit inside it, low to the water, and the top is closed. That design changes some of the parts you’ll use.

• Bow: The front of the kayak. On many kayaks it rises slightly to ride over waves.
• Stern: The back of the kayak.
• Deck: The closed top surface of the kayak. It keeps water out and helps make the boat stronger.
• Hull: The bottom of the kayak, the part that sits in the water. Its shape affects how steady the kayak feels and how straight it travels.
• Cockpit: The opening in the deck where the paddler sits.
• Coaming: The raised lip around the edge of the cockpit. A spray skirt can stretch over it to keep water out of the boat.
• Seat: Where the paddler sits, low in the hull. Many seats have an adjustable backrest to support good posture.
• Foot braces: Adjustable pegs or pedals inside the hull, in front of the seat. Press your feet against them to brace your legs, which gives you better balance, control and stroke power. Adjust them so your knees are slightly bent before you launch.
• Grab loops: Handles at the bow and stern. Use them to carry the kayak and to hold on to it during a rescue or after a capsize.
• Deck lines: Cords or bungee straps across the deck. Deck lines give you something to grab in the water, and bungees can hold a map, water bottle or other small gear.

Parts of a Kayak Paddle

Your paddle turns your effort into movement. The right paddle size and style make your boat respond better and make paddling more fun. Paddles come in many sizes, shapes and materials, just like boats. A kayak paddle has a blade at each end, so you can paddle on alternating sides without switching hands.

• Tip: The far end of the blade from the throat.
• Blade: The wide, flat part of the paddle at each end of the shaft.
• Throat: The point where the blade meets the shaft.
• Shaft: The long part of the paddle between the blades. It may be round or oval.
• Power face: The smooth side of the blade that presses against the water during a stroke.
• Back face: The side of the blade opposite the power face.

Grip a kayak paddle on the shaft, 6 to 8 inches from each blade.

PARTS OF A ROWBOAT

Like a canoe, a rowboat has gunwales along its top edges to stiffen the sides. Other structural parts include:

• Bow breastplate: A brace across the top of the bow that strengthens the front of the boat.
• Transom: The flat, upright panel that forms the stern.
• Transom knees: Braces that connect the transom to the sides of the boat.
• Seats: Bow, midship and stern seats, named for their location.

Most boats have at least one painter, a rope used to tie the boat to a dock or other fixed object. This rowboat has a bow painter and a stern painter. Some boats have a keel along the bottom centerline that acts as a backbone to hold the boat together. Some keels extend downward to improve stability and tracking. (Tracking is how well a boat moves straight through the water.)

Parts of an Oar

Rowing takes two oars. Hold each one by its handle while the shaft rests in an oarlock on each side of the boat.

• Handle: The end of the oar you hold.
• Button: A collar that keeps the oar from sliding out through the oarlock.
• Leather: A protective sleeve where the oar rests in the oarlock, which reduces wear.
• Loom: The long shaft of the oar between the handle and the blade.
• Throat: The point where the loom widens into the blade.
• Blade: The wide, flat part that pushes against the water.
• Tip: The end of the blade.

READY TO GET ON THE WATER

Once you know the parts of a canoe, kayak or rowboat, you’re ready to learn the strokes, safety skills and teamwork that make a great day on the water. Scouts and leaders can review these terms together before a paddling outing. Calling out “port” or “check your foot braces” is easier when everyone uses the same words.

Illustrations by Scouting America; Photograph by Shutterstock