Aft Toward the rear, or stern, of the canoe Airbag Used to keep water out of kayaks and provide extra buoyancy, essential in all boats. Can be used to rescue a flooded kayak. BA buoyancy aid, see also PFD (US) Bail To empty water from a craft by scooping it out with a sponge or bailer Beam Width of a canoe or kayak measured at its widest point Bilge The lowest point of the boat, and where water collects Bivvi bag Emergency shelter plastic bag 2 x1m, can be Goretex and used as very small tent Blade As you can quess it is the wider end of the paddle. The bit in the water Bothy bag Group shelter for slowly reheating hypothermia victims, or temporary stop Bow Forward extremity of your canoe or kayak Break in/out To paddle into or out of the main current Broach Broadside to any obstacle wind, waves, current, or rocks; usually the prelude to an upstream capsize. Don't broach! Bulkhead A ‘wall’ sealing off one end of a kayak to form a watertight compartment. Normally seen in sea kayaks Buoyancy The capacity to remain afloat Buoyancy aid Safety jacket to help keep a paddler afloat. Note it is not a Life Jacket as it will not keep your head out of the water when unconcious. Cag Nylon canoeing anorak, normally sealed at the wrists, neck and waist Canadian Canoe The common term for an open canoe Capsize When a canoe tips over Carabiners Pear or oblong shaped metal ring with a spring clip, used in mountaineering to attach a running rope to a piton or similar device. Chute A fast current where part of a stream is compressed and flows between two obstructions Coaming A raised rim or border around a cockpit designed to keep out water Cockpit Entry hole to kayak, in various sizes; ‘keyhole’, ‘ocean’ etc Collision Regulations Also known as ‘Col Regs’, the International ‘Highway Code’ for the sea. N.B applies to the Thames and any other tidal rivers. Cow’s tail Towing harness incorporated into a buoyancy aid Creek boat Similar to river running boats except shorter with more volume, softer edges Deck The enclosed area over the bow or stern of a canoe Deck Lines Safety lines on the deck of a kayak to manoeuvre the kayak when its capsized or for someone in the water to hang onto. Usually seen on sea kayaks. Displacement The amount of water displaced by a floating vessel Draw A stroke taken at right angles to the direction of travel Eddy A current at variance with the main current, and where the main current either stops or reverses its flow upstream; caused by rocks, obstructions, or the bends in a river or stream Edging Putting the boat on its edge to increase its manoeuvrability Eskimo Roll Using the paddle against the water to right a boat that has tipped or rolled over Fathom A nautical measure of depth: 6 feet Feather The angle between the two blades of a kayak paddle, usually 45º to 60º Freestyle boat Short 2m boat designed for cartwheeling etc at the expensive of other criteria Full plate Footrest designed to spread the forces of shocks, good for WW boats Gaffer tape 5cm wide waterproof sticky tape, used in emergency repairs Get-in where a boat is placed in the water, a slipway or launching site Get-out - opposite of get-in Grab loop A loop of rope on the bow or stern of a kayak, useful in an emergency Hatch An opening through the deck into a compartment, and closed by a hatch cover J Stroke A stroke on which the paddle is turned to act as a rudder, keeping the boat on a straight course K1/K2/K4 fast and generally unstable racing kayaks K1 = one person, K2 = two people etc Kayak A decked craft in which the paddlers sit with legs extended and propel the craft with a double blade paddle Kevlar Du Pont’s trade name for poly para phenylene terephthalamide synthetic material five times stronger than steel Keel A strip or extrusion along the bottom of a boat to prevent side slipping Knot Unit of speed equal to 1 nautical mile per hour Lash To make gear secure, usually with a rope Lee cocking - characteristic of a boat to turn away from the wind or down wind. potentially dangerous Leeway The sideways movement of a boat away from the wind Outrigger A form of paddle racing, usually at sea, derived from Pacific Island outrigger canoes Neaps A tide with the least amount of movement occurs every two weeks– opposite of ‘springs’ Paddle The implement used for propelling a kayak or canoe. Canoeists use a single bladed paddle. PFD Personal Flotation Device. Buoyancy aid BA PLA Port of London Authority, governs all users of the tidal River Thames Pogies waterproof mittens that attach to the paddle shaft Playboat Over 2m long and designed for ‘moves’ as well as running rivers Port The left side of a boat or river– opposite of Starboard. Portage Derived from the French word for “carry.” A fancy name for carrying your boat around a difficult rapid or other obstacle Rapids An area of a river, stream, or course where the current is very rapid and flows around and over various obstacles Rigging The system of ropes on the deck of a kayak used to stow gear and in self rescue manoeuvres River Left The left side of a river from the peddler’s point of view when looking down stream River Right The right side of a river from the paddler’s point of view when looking down stream River running boat - Approx 2 – 2.5m good 2D control at the expense of 3D control Rocker Describes the curve of the hull as seen from the side, Roll Technique to right an overturned kayak or canoe without getting out of it Rudder A device commonly used for steering a craft Shaft The handle of the canoe paddle between the grip and the blade Sheer The fore and aft curving sides of a hull Skeg An adjustable fin fitted to most sea kayaks to counteract the effect of side winds Slack water A period of no tidal movement between ebb and flood tides Sit-on-Top (SOT) Popular open craft without a cockpit Spray deck skirt in neoprene or nylon used to enclose kayaks from water Springs Largest tides occurring twice a month – opposite of ‘neaps’ Squall A quick, driving gust of wind or rain Standing wave Wave formed by fast moving water hitting still water Starboard The right side of a vessel Stern The rear end of a canoe Stern rudder Using the paddle as a rudder to maintain a straight line Stopper Recirculating wave that can be dangerous to paddlers, often created by weirs to reduce water flow in rivers Strainer pierced obstructions which allow water through but not a swimmer - dangerous Sweep Stroke Used to turn the boat by reaching out and ahead, then “sweeping” in a wide arc fore to aft Take out Where you end your trip; the take out or get out point Throat The area of the paddle where the shaft meets the blade Throw bag Bag of rope used to throw to a paddler in difficulty Tracking How straight a kayak moves as it is paddled Trim The angle at which a boat rides in the water. Weather cocking designed characteristic of most kayaks to turn into or towards the wind (opposite Lee cocking) Weir A low dam used to divert or slow the flow of water; frequently built by commercial eel trap operators to catch eels and confuse canoeists. To be watched out for ! Whitewater A long stretch of foaming waves and rapids Wind terms – Beaufort Scale
Yaw When a canoe swerves from its course |
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