: Scott, I would plan on paddling this boat in mostly shallow slow to rough
: waters. I am not an extremely experienced boater, but I have messed around
: on the spring river here in Arkansas that has some pretty hairy spots. As
: for buying a used kayak... well, I love woodworking so, if I can build it
: instead of buy it then that's what I'd prefer. Since I will be in shallow
: rivers most of the time, I plan on fiber glassing any boat I build.

Including a "skin" boat? Well, you certainly can use fiberglass cloth to cover the frame, and then paint on a light layer of epoxy or polyester resin (the polyester is cheaper) to saturate the fabric. A second coat of resin will make sure you have it completely covered.

Otherwise, the preferred fabric is a vinyl-coated fabric with the center made from woven polyester fiber. This is the kind of stuff used for the tarps that cover loads on flatbed trucks. Where in Arkansas are you geographically located? Near a big city, or out in the wilderness? There is probably a truck tarp company in your state which may sell you some plain fabric. Otherwise, tom Yost has the phone number for a company in Chicago (Mauritzon) which will sell you the same Coverlite material he uses. They also have the glue for this stuff. Check the resource pages at his site: WWW.Yostwerks.com.

A slightly less durable covering can be found at almost any Wal-Mart. Look at their heaviest clear vinyl in the fabric section. Usually it is 54 inches wide, and about $1.20 a running foot (somewhere around $3.50 to $4 a yard) For a 12 foot boat you'd get 14 feet, for under $20. It is a good price and the material should last a few years. Easy to repair tears and punctures with vinyl cement and scraps. Cheap enough to replace every couple of years, too.

If you do a neat job on the carpentry, a clear kayak looks VERY cool.

Otherwise, go for a canvas skin. The local fabric stores sell 10 ounce canvas, or duck cloth. This is a bit light, but it will work for a few years. The preferred material is number 10 duck, which is aobut 14 to 15 ounces a yard, or about 40% to 50% thicker than the stuff sold at the local fabric stores.

You can get this for under $8 a yard from www.clarkcraft.com. Look for the tab for building supplies. Once this is stretched and nailed or stapled to the frame it is coated with a couple of layers of outdoor latex enamel, or an oilbased outdoor enamel. Your local paint shop should have a mildewcide which you can add to your paint. I'd use that to keep the canvas from rotting. I'd also suggest making a solution of borax in warm water and sloshing that through the inside of the boat, again to keep down mildew. A cup of borax in a pail of water will be fine. That's about how much you'd use for soaking baby diapers. Slosh it in, pour it out and let it dry. You can get borax in the laundry and detergent aisle at the local grocery store.

Platt Monfort uses a thin dacron skin which he attaches to the frame with a heat-fusible adhesive which can be found at fabric stores. Check out his designs at www.GAboats.com.

If you are looking for plans for a simple plywood kayak, check out the two pages I have online at www.buildakayak.com/boatpix/yak1.tif and www.buildakayak.com/boatpix/yak2.tif

Hope this helps

PGJ