Having just completed a sof kayak with #10 duck as a skin this is what I found noteworthy:

Canvas is easy to work with, cut and sew. After sewing the fabric I washed it with hot water. The skin shrunk drum tight and then slackened as it dried. The same held true when I coated it with elastomeric roof coating. I followed that up with a coat of latex paint. The end result was no significant net gain in skin tension from when I started, however the wrinkles which were quite apparent at the bow and stern all but disappeared (no darts were sewn). The skin now looks tight but does not feel as tight as I would have preferred.

Would I use it again? Yes but I would probably try butyrate dope to make the skin shrink more. I am about to start another boat and will probably go with nylon for comparison sake.

: What kind of options does one have if they opt for a canvas cover for a skin
: boat? I have found a local source for #10 duck at a really cheap price and
: I hope to find out this afternoon if they have poly duck. At $4 a yard for
: 78" fabric I don't know if I should pass this up. Pros and/or cons of
: canvas?