I always get good and useful advice on this board, so here goes with some more questions.
I know that wood paddles are oiled on a regular basis, at least at first, to keep them waterproof. How does the oil finish that many skin on frame builders use work over the long term? I am concerned mostly about the pine stems and the ash ribs on my boat-in-progress, and not so worried about the yellow cedar gunwales and deck beams. I would hate to risk rotted wood, which I can see is likely in our humid summer climate. The boat will be paddled in freshwater, not salt, 99 percent of the time, if this makes any difference. In his Sea Kayaker article, Chris Cunningham recommends two light coats of varnish, or oiling. I know varnishing might be serious heresy for some skin boat owners but I want this boat to last long enough to hand over to a grandkid in about 5-10 years.
Another question. Would carrying a skin on frame over a few weeks on a car rack have a marked effect on the shape of the boat? I am wondering about taking it on a long haul to Alaska, which would involve about 6 weeks of cartopping. Bad idea or not? I do have another boat I can take. Thanks to all.