I used the Wolfgang B. concoctions of exterior primer, boiled linseed oil and turpentine, and final coats with Captains Varnish. The canvas skin feels kind of rubbery. It is surpizingly abrasion resistant (paddled over a barnacle covered submerged pier with barely a sign of the event), but I have punctured it while unloading it on a sharp corner.

The reason I selected this method is materials are readily available locally, they are easier to work with (hard to screw-up), significantly less toxic, and it is simple to repair (as I have foundout first hand). I am happy with the results and the performance...

Sew the cockpit rim on before coating the skin. Once coated it will not conform to the shape very well...

> 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