I've done three boats using Bill Low's skinning method and have been very happy with the results. It allows you to pull the fabric very tight and skin the boat without any darts or seams at the bow and stern. To get a straight an even seam on a boat without a stringer down the center of the deck, I used an 8' piece of 3/4" x 1/8" aluminum stap as temporary stringer/cutting guide. It did the job wonderfully.

On the first boat, I used helper threads (as is done with canvas) to pull the fabric tight. I tied them off periodically and removed them as I sewed. They left small puckers in the skin (13 oz. polyester), but nothing objectionable. On the second and third skins, I pulled the fabric tight by hand and used push pins to hold it in place (with the aid of a helper). This worked well, too.