Parts of a Canoe – 14 Parts Labeled, Gunwale to Yoke

All 14 parts on the diagram

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Start here: 7 main parts 7

Gunwale The strip along the top edge of the sides. It stiffens the hull. Said gunnel.
Seat Where the paddlers sit. The bow seat is at the front, the stern seat at the back.
Thwart A crossbar between the gunwales. It holds the sides apart and stiffens the canoe.
Yoke Center crossbar shaped to rest on the shoulders when carrying the canoe.
Hull The body of the canoe, the shell that floats.
Bow The front of the canoe.
Stern The back of the canoe.

From above 3

Deck The small plate at each end that joins the gunwales.
Painter A rope tied to the bow or stern. It is for lining, towing or tying up.
Beam The canoe's width at its widest point.

From the side 3

Stem The curved edge at each end. The two sides of the hull meet here.
Keel A strip along the center of the bottom. It helps the canoe keep a straight course.
Rocker The upward curve of the bottom toward the ends. More rocker turns faster, less tracks straighter.

Cut across 1

Tumblehome Where the sides curve back in. The canoe is then narrower across the gunwales than at the waterline.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-26. (1) Paddling Magazine, Parts of a canoe, https://paddlingmag.com/boats/canoes/parts-of-a-canoe/ : bow, stern, hull, gunwale, thwart, yoke, seats, deck, keel, painter, beam, rocker, tumblehome, waterline. (2) Frontenac Outfitters, Canoe parts and terminology, https://www.frontenacoutfitters.com/blogs/tutorials/canoe-parts-terminology : bow, stern, hull, gunwales, thwarts, yoke, seats, deck plates, stem, keel, painter, beam, skid plate. (3) Wikipedia, Canoe, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canoe : hull, gunwales, thwarts, yoke, seats, decks, stem, keel, rocker, tumblehome, bow and stern. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-26. Own work, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

These are the parts of a canoe as paddlers name them: the canoe from above, from the side, and cut across. Start with the 7 main parts.

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From above

The gunwales run along the top of each side and meet at the decks at each end. Paddlers sit on the bow and stern seats. Thwarts brace the sides apart, and the yoke in the middle is shaped for carrying the canoe on your shoulders.

From the side

The hull runs from the bow at the front to the stern at the back, each ending in a curved stem. A keel may run along the bottom. Rocker is how much the bottom curves up toward the ends: more rocker turns faster, less keeps a straighter course.

Cut across

Tumblehome is the inward curve of the sides toward the gunwales, so the canoe is narrower across the top than at the waterline. A canoe with tumblehome can be steadier to paddle.

Beam is measured at the canoe's widest point. On a canoe with tumblehome, that point is below the gunwales, near the waterline.

Questions and answers

What is the top edge of a canoe called?

The gunwale, said gunnel. It is the strip along the top of each side that stiffens the hull; the two meet at the deck plates at each end.

What is the difference between a thwart and a yoke?

Both are crossbars between the gunwales that hold the sides apart. The yoke is the one in the middle, shaped to rest on your shoulders when you carry the canoe.

What is a painter on a canoe?

A rope tied to the bow or stern. It is used for tying the canoe up, for tracking and lining it along the bank through shallow water, and to help in a capsize.