Yeah I'm not too worried about stretching the skin, I didn't really have any problems last time. I'm also thinking about stapling the skin on this time mostly just to try something new, also I think I've got a good plan to really crank the skin super tight that I want to try.

I have been thinking about canvas - I really don't get in the water too much (and I've got other boats to play with), so I suspect it would probably last pretty long. How do you find it to behave in practice (it seems like it would be really pleasant to build with)? I know I'm going to end up with a ton of water in the boat (Ms. Cleo predicts lots of rolling practice in my future) and I'm a little concerned about the cotton getting waterlogged and causing rot and maybe other problems (maybe the coating will soak in enough to prevent this being a biggie)?

Do you do anything to treat the cotton for rot resistance or just let the coating handle it? Do you do something like a thinned-out first coat for more penetration?

Where do you get your canvas? (is it #10 duck?)

Hi Luke,
I get canvas from a company in Cork city (whose name escapes me (but I know how to get there :) )) that makes marine covers and such. It's #10 duck Egyptian cotton. Depending on your location, that may not be much help.

As you can set aside a SoF for a while and still go paddling, that's a benefit for rot/mold prevention as it will allow the kayak to dry out between uses. That's particularly good for freshwater paddling. Salt-water use still needs drying out but don't rinse, the salt will act as a preservative to a fair degree.
But it's the letting it dry out that lengthens lifespan more than anything else.

Now, that said I did use a mix of pure raw linseed and turpentine on the skin before painting it, with oil based paint. There is "controversy" over this. In some situations, others have found this mix to increase mold development. The only thing I can think of is that I used pure linseed oil, there's no proteins for mold spores to feed on and grow, plus I paddle exclusively on salt water.

Just using paint alone will work, it's common enough in Greenland. Just thin the first coat enough for it to soak into the canvas, then go with thin/light coats after that. Multiple thin coats are more flexible than fewer thicker coats.

Hope this helps,
Mike Savage
South West Cork