BAILER: Device used to remove water from the canoe. Can be as simple as a milk jug cut to make a scoop.

BEAM: The widest part of the canoe, not necessarily at the gunwales.

BENT SHAFT PADDLE: Canoe paddle with the blade angled anywhere from 5 to 15 degrees for better touring performance.

BOW: The forward part of the canoe.

BUOYANCY CHAMBER: An enclosed section of the canoe, typically located at the bow and the stern filled with foam or other buoyant material.

CAPACITY: The amount of weight a canoe can carry and still be safely operated.

CARRYING THWART: (yoke) A brace that runs from gunwale to gunwale, typically with a cut out for the neck, sometimes padded, and located just forward of the beam of the canoe. Used to portage the canoe on your back.

CLASS: Rating system for the level of difficulty experienced on a body of water. Ratings range from Class I for flat water or little current, to Class VI, which is extreme danger, no possible rescue.

DEPTH: The distance from the top of the canoe at the gunwales to the bottom of the canoe when measured at the beam. A good standard depth is about 13".

DRY BAG: A sack or bag used to hold vital gear and keep it dry in the event of a capsize or water coming into the canoe.

FLAT WATER: Lakes, rivers, streams, etc. with almost no current, waves, or chop.

FREEBOARD: The height of a boat's side from  the waterline to the gunwale.

GUNWALES: The upper rails that run along the top edges of the canoe. Comprised of the inwale (inside) and outwale (outside) pieces

INITIAL STABILITY: The amount of stability a canoe has when flat.

KEEL: Center line of the canoe down the length, some canoes will have an actual keel molded or attached.

PAINTER: A line attached to the bow and/or stern of the canoe.

PORTAGE: To carry acanoe on your back. To do this thecanoe will need a carrying thwart.

ROCKER: The amount of upward curve at the bow and stern of the canoe.

ROD: A method of measuring distance when portaging a canoe. Most people accept that a rod is 16 feet, or one canoe length.

SECONDARY STABILITY: The amount of stability a canoe has while leaning on its side.

SOLO CANOE: A canoe typically paddled by one person.

STEM: The shape of the bow of a canoe, rounded for better maneuverability, squared for better tracking.

STERN: The very back end of the canoe.

STRAIGHT SHAFT PADDLE: Paddle where the blade
is straight in reference to the shaft of the paddle, no angle to the blade.

TANDEM CANOE: A canoe typically paddled by two people.

THROW BAG: Emergency equipment used to throw to some one in the water to pull them in. Typically used in whitewater conditions.

THWART: A brace that runs from gunwale to gunwale.

TOURING CANOE: A canoe typically used for backcountry camping and cross country travel or long distances or long durations.

TRACKING: Moving forward in a straight line while being paddled.

TUMBLEHOME: The curvature of the sides of the canoe.