I like this skinning tutorial: http://capefalconkayak.com/howtoskinakayak.html

Relatively fast and easy. The skin boat school videos help fill in some details that aren't clearly explained in the text, such as the initial stretching along the length of the frame and attaching the coaming. The whip stitch seam isn't the prettiest but it works just fine and is much faster than some of the other methods. If done neatly, its not unsightly at all.

I think the best part of the Cape Falcon (TM) method is the zig-zag lacing to help pull the fabric tight before sewing the center seam. This allows you to pull the hull and part of the deck very tight before you start on the center seam. You can pull additional tension when working on the center seam, but the bulk of the tension will have already been pulled making the sewing a little easier. You can pull out the zig-zag lacing after the center seam is complete, or leave it in place.

Another tip not mentioned in any online tutorials I've seen is to wait overnight after the initial stretching along the length as well as after the initial deck tightening. One can typically pull a bit more tension after the fabric has had time to "rest". While some say that you can skin a kayak in a day or less, take your time and allow yourself to do a good job without cutting corners to finish a little earlier.

Its really not all that difficult, just time consuming. I always enjoy skinning as its a welcome change in skills used after spending so much energy on the frame.

: I am getting closer to the skin-it stage for my project. It most resembles
: Tom Yost's construction method, but it's my "design". My next
: steps are to make the coaming and install the floorboards, then it's
: skinning time!

: Long ago and far away I built a skin on frame kayak. I used copper tacks to
: nail the sail canvas to the frame, doing the hull first and then the deck,
: overlapped at the sheer. That worked very well, never leaked, and never
: caused any problems.

: I have fabric from Goerge Dyson, and sail needles, but no confidence that I
: can do a decent jog of sewing the fabric along the deck ridge the way most
: of the kayaks I see are done. I know others do it, but I'm not good at
: sewing and I am good at messing stuff up. I am tempted to get monel
: staples and just, well, staple it, hull then deck, the way I did the first
: one, long ago and far away.

: I imagine it's an abhorent thought to the successful skin seamsters... but
: the worse picture in my mind is the botched mess I am fully qualified to
: create.

: I've watched online videos, read some books, poured over all the websites
: that I can find, and still have no confidence that I can sew a kayak cover
: well enough to pass my own inspection.

: If anyone around here has constructive advice please share it. If anyone has
: done one way and then wished they'd done it the other, please chip in. If
: anyone has completely botched the sewn cover, how did you proceed?

: Thanks for listening,

: Michael