Wiktionary
to the gunnels
adv. full, or to the brim
Usage examples of "to the gunnels".
The animals snapped and squabbled in the confines of the flat, shallow craft, then settled down for the journey's second half once they'd managed to fight their way to the gunnels and could look out over the river.
Other lines snaked to the patched-up hulls of vintage riverboats filled to the gunnels with foam-covered water.
And Foam Dancer is a small ship, not a dromond loaded to the gunnels with ivory and spices.
Even so, Jim's bigtruck was loaded to the gunnels (whatevergunnels are).
The Deep Encounter was rolling heavily in waters reflecting the orange flames, her hull sunk almost to the gunnels, her decks overflowing with huddled figures.