I like to get the deck very tight (using polyester) but nylon may not require such tension if it is to be shrunk after sewing. Some stitching methods are less likely to leave difficult to fill holes, FWIW.

You can deal with the holes, which seem to be more prevalent in lighter weight and/or less densely woven material, as they may by unavoidable with the particular fabric being used. "Caulking" the holes/seam or just putting drops of your coating in each hole after each coat of skin coating will likely suffice. The last time I skinned a kayak I used clear sealant (made by Loctite, IIRC, but Lexel is also good) over the seam and any stitch holes that did not get filled by the skin coating. You can achieve some interesting effects by using contrasting colored sealant, too.

I have not used nylon, so I can't say how much it may shrink. Best bet, IMO of course, it to get things as tight as you can while sewing and not rely on fabric shrink to make things right. Remember, nylon relaxes when it absorbs moisture, so if it is not tight when dry, it will only get worse when cold and wet (although it usually shrinks back when dry again).

: Ok I am using 7oz nylon and 50# dacron fishing line. How tight do I need to
: get the deck? The hull is fairly tight and pinned to the gunnels. Every
: time I try to do a tight stich I get large holes in the cloth at the
: thread holes.
: How much will the nylon shrink? an how tight do i need to get the deck?

: Thanks