: After the canvas is stretched over the frame it can be dampened, and as it
: dries it will shrink tight. When it is then covered with a waterproofing
: material it will stay tight in use.

My experience is that canvas shrinks when wet, and loosens when dry. Which is convienent for kayaks, as the skin tightens up (slightly) when you put it in the water. The paint will hold it pretty much in the shrunken state.

Some pros of canvas over man made fabric: it will rot. That is you won't be burdening the planet with another piece of useless plastic. It seems to last pretty well on a kayak if you keep it dry. Which is of course the key. The is a nice piece of oil treated canvas in the Louvre which is hundreds of years old... :-)

I think that the best cloth for kayaks would be hemp, which is much more resistant to rot, and is stronger. However, it is only available at boutique prices, due to political machinations.

Thank You Kindly,

Topher