Greetings,

I plan to order my resin and cloth shortly after the holidays and I have not decided what weight cloth I want to use.

The boat is a low-deck Night Heron built with .25" B&C white and western red cedars.

Most common payload will be around 200 lbs; daytrips. Several extended trips per summer season with a payload of 240 lbs.

Waters paddled are primarily lakes with rocky/gravel shorelines, very few sandy beaches. Some river use but no excessive boulder bangin'.

My biggest wear factor will be occasionally scraping the hull in shallows and abrasive landings.

Proposed lay-up will consist of:

1 layer on the outer hull with a second on the football. Stem and stern will receive 3 bias-cut strip layers.

1 layer inside the hull with a second in the cockpit area.

1 layer inside and outside the deck with a second around and aft of the cockpit underside.

I plan to use RAKA w/ 350 hardner throughout. I'll be doing a seal coat on the exteriors and my target weight is 42-45 lbs ready to paddle. Outfitting will be minimal weight-wise.

My dilemma is whether to use 4 or 6 oz cloth (open weave). As a first timer, I don't want to end up with a heavy boat but I also do not want a boat that has to be babied about. The 4 oz is attractive as I'm sure its much easier to lay out and wet out. But....

...is 4 0z strong enough for a kayak that lives in the Rocky Mountains?

Thanks for any replies.

Holmes