Thanks much for all that information. I have looked at a few of those sites and found some good information. I will try to get a copy of those books.

I'm thinking of covering with a medium weight nylon, but worry about the problems with stretching I have read about on some of the FAQ's. The books an web sites you suggested should provide the answers.

Thanks again. J.D.

: I am not familiar with old Folboat's but if your boat is rigid, and not
: folding it should be much simpler. Please have a look at the following
: kayak site for ideas and check out his building pages. Note that he uses
: canvas, which is stretched, stapled to the frame, and then painted.

: http://www.qsl.net/wa1urb/

: I would also recommend the book "Canoes and Canoeing" by Percy W.
:

: A skin kayak is supposed to flex. By covering with fiberglass you lose that
: advantage. If you can find a copy of George Dyson's book Baidarka, he used
: to cover his early kayaks in fiberglass. Later he used nylon, covered with
: hypalon paint. His chapters on skinning a boat are probably the definitive
: resource on the subject. He stitches the skin up tight around the boat
: like a big sock. Since Nylon shrinks when heat is applied, this is how
: wrinkles are removed. George sells skinning material also, nylon,
: polyester, needles, etc. Some people paint with Gacoflex (Hypalon paint),
: Snowcote (A roofing paint), polyurethane, Latex, Thompson's Watersealer,
: you name it they tried it. Skin as I mentioned could be canvas, nylon,
: polyester, pvc etc.

: Other books to try for skinning would be The Aleutian Kayak by Wolfgang
: Brinck.

: