Hello ev'ryone,

I am planning to paint my canvas kayak with exterior oil-based paint but I have a question or two...I have read several different opinions on what kind of paint, how much to thin, whether to use added linseed oil/fillers etc...

I think I will just thin the first coat(s) and then an unthinned final coat. I read here recently someone used exterior primer and then a coat of varnish to get a very strong finish.. Is it ok to varnish over the paint? Will this add a significant amount of protection to the paint?

The Sea Kayaker article from which I am building says to sew the skin, sew on the cockpit rim, and then seal the skin. I am planning on a white oil paint and do not want to paint the wood cockpit rim. And if I try to paint after the rim is sewn on, there is no way to adequately seal the canvas while trying to keep paint off the rim.So, is it ok to first paint the skin, then sew on the rim? If I do it in that order, I would think the pulling on the skin while sewing the rim on would leave a lot of cracking and other damage to the skin...

Or, should I just use the varnish (regular exterior varnish) on the canvas and forget the paint? Another builder who has built the same kayak and used varnish only, mailed me that he ended up with two 3" cuts on the hull canvas after running over a sharp rock (which he was unaware of doing until he began to get 'that sinking feeling'). That did not instill a lot of confidence in the varnished canvas.

Any insights are appreciated.

Kelly