> Mike,

> Thanks for your well thought out answers.

> On the coaming, as I am not using epoxy, I guess there might be a problem
> with using plywood. Would there be delamination if I were to use only
> varnish on the bent plywood. I was wondering about 1/8 inch or so.I have
> heard from someone that this is hard to bend into the correct shape,
> though.

> Did you do anything to the canvas before applying the paint? I think I
> have seen somewhere a reference to shrinking the canvas using hot?? water.

> Should I try to double the thickness of the canvas along the keel area? I
> see the Putz kayak has a keel strip. The only canvas I can find is about a
> yard in width, so I have to cover the hull and deck with separate pieces
> and sew along the sheer. Or I could beg my wife to let me practice on her
> machine and sew the two into one wider piece to start. This could be done
> so as to give an inch wide double or even triple thickness along the keel.
> Any comments as to whether this is needed or advisable?

Kelly

If you want to make the keel areas more durable it is not necessary to sew on any more canvas. Laminate or glue it on. This eliminates puckering from sewing pieces that shrink differently, and it eliminates needle holes and thereasd that might wick water into the interior.

The process is pretty simple and straight- forward: After you put on a couple coats of the waterproofing material (whether it is roof coating or oilbased paint or whatever) your hull is basically sealed. Anything you put on after this will simply serve as additional protection.

Put on a fresh coat of your paint or sealant along the area you want to reinforce. While this is still wet, lay on a precut strip of canvas, and roll along it, or pat it gently so that it seats nicely. If you don't have a single strip long enough to cover, you can use shorter pieces. Jsut be sure that anywhere you join or overlap the canvas you lay down a fresh layer of paoint ot bed th is canvas in. The canvas should soak up a bit of the waterproofing. Now put on a coat of your paint or roofing material to seal this canvas. When it all cures the extra layer will be permanently bonded in place.

I was using the snow wite elastomeric roof coating and simply put on a fresh coat of this on the bow. Then I draped a precut piece of canvas over, and gently poked it into place. I then covered this with more roof coating. In effect, I glued on the canvas and then sealed it. After a few days I put on a few more coats over the entire hull. The reinforcing material is firmly fixed in place.

You dont have to do this now, by the way. You might want to paddle the boat for a few weeks and look at scratch marks to see where you should reinforce. If you do this, wash the boat well before applying more paint to it, so you can first remove any dirt from your paddling adventures.

You may want to take a few square feet of canvas and cover them with your waterproofing paint or compound. Let them dry and cure at the same time as the rest of the boat. Take these with on trips for use as patching material. Ou can apply this to your boat with rubber cement or contact cement. It looks a lot neater that patching with duct tape. To hold the patch in place, coat the area areound the damage with rubbercement or contact cement. Do the same for the 'insde' of the patch. Let both dry. When they are completely dry, position the patch over the damaged area and press it into position. You should be able to use the boat immediately.

Hope this helps.

Paul G, Jacobson

Hope this helps.

Paul G. Jacobson