Editing Canoe (section)

==Hull design==
[[File:Parts of Canoe.svg|thumb|right|1 [[Bow (ship)|Bow]], 2 [[Stern]], 3 [[Hull (watercraft)|Hull]], 4 [[Seat]], 5 [[Thwart]], 6 [[Gunwale]], 7 [[Deck (ship)|Deck]], 8 [[Shoulder pole|Yoke]]]]
[[Image:1998-10-tema-canoe.jpg|thumb|right|Prospector canoe showing rocker at the stern]]
[[Hull (watercraft)|Hull]] design must meet different, often conflicting, requirements for speed, carrying capacity, maneuverability, and stability.<ref name=aca>{{cite book|title=Canoeing : outdoor adventures|year=2008|publisher=Human Kinetics|location=Champaign, IL|isbn=978-0-7360-6715-7|url=https://archive.org/details/canoeingoutdoora00oyen}}</ref> The canoe's [[hull speed]] can be calculated using the principles of [[ship resistance and propulsion]].

* Length: although this is often stated by manufacturers as the [[Length overall|overall length of the boat]], what counts in performance terms is the [[Waterline length|length]] of the [[waterline]], and more specifically its value relative to the [[Displacement (ship)|displacement]] (the amount of water [[Displacement (fluid)|displaced]] by the boat) of the canoe, which is equal to the total weight of the boat and its contents because a floating body displaces its own weight in water. When a canoe is paddled through water, effort is required to push all the displaced water out of the way. Canoes are [[displacement hull]]s: the longer the waterline relative to its displacement, the faster it can be paddled. Among general [[#Touring and camping|touring canoeists]], {{convert|17|ft|2|abbr=on|order=flip}} is a popular length, providing a good compromise between capacity and cruising speed.<ref name="wilderness paddler">{{cite book|last=Davidson, James & John Rugge|title=The Complete Wilderness Paddler|year=1985|publisher=Vintage|isbn=0-394-71153-X|pages=[https://archive.org/details/completewilderne00davi_0/page/38 38–39]|url=https://archive.org/details/completewilderne00davi_0/page/38}}</ref> Too large a canoe will simply mean extra work paddling at cruising speed.
*[[Beam (nautical)|Width (beam)]]: a wider boat provides more stability at the expense of speed. A canoe cuts through the water like a wedge, and a shorter boat needs a narrower beam to reduce the angle of the wedge cutting through the water.<ref name="wilderness paddler" /> Canoe manufacturers typically provide three beam measurements: the gunwale (the measurement at the top of the hull), the waterline (the measurement at the point where the surface of the water meets the hull when it is empty), and the widest point. Another variation of the waterline beam measurement is called ''4" waterline'', where the displacement is taken into account. This measurement is done at the waterline level when the maximum load is applied to the canoe.<ref>{{cite web |title=Canoe Design |date=21 January 2017 |url=http://canoeing.com/canoes/canoe-design/ |publisher=Canoe.com |access-date=3 September 2020}}</ref> Some canoe races use the 4" waterline beam measurement as the standard for their regulations.<ref>{{cite book |title=Competition Rules Canoe and Kayak Specifications Sanctioned Race Sponsor Requirements |date=13 January 2019 |publisher=United States Canoe Association |url=http://www.uscanoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/USCA_Competition_Rules_2019.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003143925/http://www.uscanoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/USCA_Competition_Rules_2019.pdf |archive-date=2020-10-03 |url-status=live |access-date=3 September 2020}}</ref> In races, the measurement is done by measuring the widest point at 4" (10&nbsp;cm) from the bottom of the canoe.<ref>{{cite book |title=38th Annual Run of the Charles |date=2020 |publisher=Charles River Watershed Association |page=5 |url=https://www.crwa.org/uploads/1/2/6/7/126781580/full_race_book_2.24.20.pdf |access-date=14 September 2020 |archive-date=3 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003060653/https://www.crwa.org/uploads/1/2/6/7/126781580/full_race_book_2.24.20.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>  
* [[Freeboard (nautical)|Freeboard]]: a higher-sided boat stays drier in rough water. The disadvantage of high sides is extra weight and extra [[windage]].<ref name="wilderness paddler" /> Increased windage adversely affects speed and steering control in crosswinds.
* [[Ship stability|Stability]] and immersed bottom shape: the hull can be optimized for [[initial stability]] (the boat feels steady when it sits flat on the water) or final stability (resistance to rolling and capsizing). A flatter-bottomed hull has higher initial stability, versus a rounder or V-shaped hull in cross-section has high final stability.<ref name="GORP">{{cite web|title=How to Choose a Canoe: A Primer on Modern Canoe Design|url=http://www.gorp.com/weekend-guide/travel-ta-canoeing-paddling-sidwcmdev_055570.html|publisher=GORP|access-date=7 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018051102/http://www.gorp.com/weekend-guide/travel-ta-canoeing-paddling-sidwcmdev_055570.html|archive-date=18 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The fastest flat water non-racing canoes have sharp V-bottoms to cut through the water, but they are difficult to turn and have a deeper [[Draft (hull)|draft]], which makes them less suitable for shallows. Flat-bottomed canoes are most popular among recreational canoeists. At the cost of speed, they have a shallow draft and more cargo space, and they turn better. The reason a flat bottom canoe has lower final stability is that the hull must wrap a sharper angle between the bottom and the sides, compared to a more round-bottomed boat.<ref name="wilderness paddler" />
* [[Keel]]: an external keel makes a canoe track (hold its course) better and can stiffen a floppy bottom, but it can get stuck on rocks and decrease stability in [[rapids]].<ref name="GORP" />
* Profile, the shape of the canoe's sides. Sides that [[Flare (ship)|flare]] out above the waterline deflect water but require the paddler to reach out over the side of the canoe more. Sides that do the reverse, so that the gunwale width is less than the maximum width, the canoe is said to have [[tumblehome]].  Tumblehome improves final stability.
* Rocker: viewed from the side of the canoe, rocker is the amount of curve in the hull in relation to the water, much like the curve of a banana. The full length of the hull is in the water, so it tracks well and has good speed. As rocker increases, so does the ease of turning but at the cost of tracking.<ref name="madriver">{{cite web|title=The Hull Truth|url=http://www.quintanna.com/mtnsports/madrivercanoe/2002/design.html|publisher=Mad River Canoe|access-date=7 October 2012}}</ref> Some Native American birch-bark canoes were characterized by extreme rocker.<ref name="wilderness paddler" /> 
* Hull [[symmetry]]: viewed from above, a symmetrical hull has its widest point at the center of the hull and both ends are identical. An asymmetrical hull typically has the widest section aft of centerline, creating a longer bow and improving speed.<ref name="madriver" />