A strake of thick planks, placed as a reinforcement between the middle- and upper-deck ports in a sailing ship having three decks, and the gun- and upper-deck ports in one having two decks, into which the bolts for the chainplates and preventer plates are fixed.
Origin
Late 17th century. From channel + wale.
Definition of channel wale in US English:
channel wale
nounˈtʃanl weɪl
Nautical historical
A strake of thick planks, placed as a reinforcement between the middle- and upper-deck ports in a sailing ship having three decks, and the gun- and upper-deck ports in one having two decks, into which the bolts for the chainplates and preventer plates are fixed.