A small, inconspicuous, or less-developed anchorage, harbor, or waterfront area; used by sailors to describe modest sheltered spots not on major shipping routes.
From 'gunk' (messy substance, suggesting murky/shallow water) + 'hole' (cove/inlet). Nautical slang that emerged in 20th-century English, especially among small boat sailors exploring lesser-known waterways.
Gunkholes represent a different kind of sailing culture—while big ship captains navigate major ports, gunkhole explorers know hundreds of tiny hidden anchorages, creating an almost parallel geography of the coastline.
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