Glossary

Off-Side - Side of boat opposite the paddle.

On-Side - Side that you're paddling on.

Paddle - Primary tool for propelling canoes/kayaks. See Blade, Shaft, Throat.

PFD - Personal Flotation Device. See Life Jacket.

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.

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.

River Right - On the 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.

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.

Skeg - A fixed rudder.

Spray Skirt - A tight waterproof cover designed to prevent water from entering the inside of a kayak. It attaches to both the cockpit rim and the kayaker.

Stem - The endpiece of a canoe or kayak hull, connecting the keel to the bow.

Stern - The back end of a boat.

Sweep Stroke - Used to turn the boat to the off-side 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 - A cross-brace between the sides of a canoe. The center thwart should be the balance point of the canoe.

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.

Volume - Used to describe overall capacity of a given hull shape.

Waterline - A point to which the water rises along the hull of a boat; the shape of the waterline and the handling characteristics of the boat change as the load changes.

Yoke - A padded, modified thwart used as a shoulder rest to carry a canoe overhead.