: I've just begun to contemplate building an SOF boat and the skinning is
: to me the most intimidating part. If I were to go with PVC coated Polyester,
: where would I find it?

Try McMaster Carr. (www.mcmaster.com) and search for "heavyweight polyester". be sure to spell "heavyweight" as one word. The coated and laminated materials are frequently used for truck tarps and circus tents. Tom Yost gets another type of this material from a place in Chicago. I believe it is Mauritizon Company, Chicago, IL phone # is 800-621-4352. Check out Tom's website. Here is one of his pages: (http://home.arcor.de/hmaroske/node-i53.html)

: . . . Do you glue it together or stitch it?

Well, you can do either, or both. If you stitch it you should seal the holes left by the needle. If you glue it, you can use a vinyl cement. H-66 (also called HH-66 vinyl cement)is one that is popular. One souce I found on the web is : Harp's Tarps http://www.harpstarps.com/accessories.php. You might contact these people about fabric, too.) another source is: Snyderman http://www.snyderman.com/vc.cfm. Their site has some nice information about htese fabrics, but no prices on the fabrics.

McMaster-Carr has a vinyl contact cement. (search for vinyl cement) Even if you sew you'll want to have the glue on hand for sealing sewing holes and for patching.

Some of these materials can also be heat sealed. Sandwich the seam area with aluminum foil and run a hot iron over it. It may take some experimentation to find the right temperature. The aluminum foil keeps the melting plastic from sticking to the iron. Once the plastic cools and hardens again the aluminum foil peels off.

: . . .If uncoated
: polyester I guess the same questions apply, along with What do you coat it
: with?

Uncoated polyester is usually sewn, although with some kayak models it is stapled or tacked (with copper tacks -- see www,clarkcraft.com, canoe building supplies for these) along the gunwales (or sheer strips) and sometimes the keel. The deck is usually attached as a separate piece. After both pieces are installed a strip of wood ( a rub strip) is nailed or screwed over the staples or tacks, covering them. on the gunwales. a similar strips may be attached as a flat keel. This not only helps to seal the holes from the staples/tacks but serves as a guard against abrasion on the bottom of the hull. The effect of such a thin strip on tracking or turning is negligible.

Coatings for this tend to be: liquid hypalon, liquid neoprene (check with George Dyson Baidarka, Bellingham, Washington for supplies) or a polyurethane exterior (NOT interior) varnish. Other things to try are elastomeric roof coating, a water based, synthetic rubber which is more commonly used on cotton canvas. The easiest coating to find seems to be the polyurethane. It soaks in and is extrmely durable.

People who build boats that have removeable skins ( the frmaes then fold or disassemble for transit) like skins which are very flexible so they cna be rolled up or folded wothout cracking the waterproofing. These folks tend to go with the neoprene or hypalon, or the precoated pvc materials.

Hope this helps.

PGJ