> although I am far from the covering process in the construction of my
> kayak I wonder, do you have to go through the process of completely
> wrapping the frame in canvas, on the page for the WA1URB it looks as if he
> has covered the hull with canvas and the top will be covered with another
> material? can this be done? what options are there for this? I also want
> to keep the cost down, so I would like to avoid expensive materials for
> covering it. what do you all recomend?

Based on all the advice I have gotten on this board and from other sources, I am planning to cover mine with 14oz. canvas (referred to as "shoe canvas" by the nice lady at Fabricland). This is the heaviest canvas they can supply, but I've been told by the know oiseaux to use canvas in the 12 to 15oz. range. Paint with a mixture of linseed oil and house paint (enamel). I've heard various things about this, too. One source just says to use two coats of house paint, another to use two coats of paint mixed with linseed oil (no proportion is mentioned), and a third coat of plain house paint. I priced this earlier this summer, when I thought I might get the thing done this year. I can't remember the price, but if I coul afford it, it wasn't much. Less than $100, anyway, and I'm Canadian, so it should be much less in the good ol' USA.

I am going to use one piece for the hull, and another for the deck, because that is what the plans call for. If I were building a Greenland kayak which calls for the hull and deck to be covered with one piece and sewn along the deck, I would do it that way.

Hope this helps to muddify the clarifications.