I am starting to work on my first boat building project. It is a SOF 18' long 20" beam. I just got my gunwales joined together today with a 15" scarf joint (I used MAS epoxy with cab-o-sil & a little wood flour) I will add wood dowels to the joints next, maybe even add a lashing to look authentic. Anyways, I am trying to decide what skin fabric to use. I want my boat to be very strong and durable (I don't want to be afraid of rocks) I am also trying to keep my costs low. I like the traditional canvas idea, however I thought of using the Polyester because due to light-weight. I don't know if I want to use Nylon because of the tendancy to shrink and slack. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.