It finally struck, and when I flipped it over the gunwale it measured 18 inches.
From the washingtontimes.com
Drifting live eels past the sunken rocks, he started pulling fish over the gunwale.
From the sportsillustrated.cnn.com
The fish was already halfway over the gunwale and champing eagerly at the gas tank.
From the time.com
The water, though close to the gunwale, stayed out, so my luggage and my feet kept dry.
From the ocregister.com
These two parts of the gunwale give rigidity and strength to the hull.
From the en.wikipedia.org
The knife marks found on the gunwale of the sloop were not made by me.
From the en.wikipedia.org
Next, we bend green ash lathes to form a gunwale, fixing them to the ends of the seat board.
From the guardian.co.uk
The left gunwale dipped into the lake and water rushed aboard.
From the timesunion.com
In traditional rowing craft, the pivot point of the oars is generally located on the boat's gunwale.
From the en.wikipedia.org
More examples
Wale at the top of the side of boat; topmost planking of a wooden vessel
The gunwale ("gunnel" to rhyme with "tunnel") is a nautical term describing the top edge of the side of a boat.
The top edge of the hull of a nautical vessel, where it meets the deck
(gunwales) upper edges of a boat's sides.
(Gunwales) Inside and outside top finished edges of a canoe.
That part of a barge or boat where the main deck and the side meet. back
The upper edge of the side of a boat.
The upper edge of an open-topped boat where the cockpit would start.
[Bordwand, die; Bordleiste, die] In folding boat terminology the gunwale is the longitudinal frame member, which coincides with the sheer line of the boat.