Your frame has nice wide gunwale strips. Staples or brads would be fine there.

Other frames--those which have their stringers made from very thin wood would be likely to have those parts split if a lot of tacks were driven into them. Those MUST have the skins sewn around them.

You can go either way, so take your choice. For that matter, consider that a skin may last 5 to 10 years and you can do one method this time, and use antoher method the next time.

If you don't want to use monel staples, you can find solid copper tacks at Clark-Craft (www.clarkcraft.com) for a reasonable price. Most of the decorative "copper" or "brass" tacks you see at hardware stores are steel with a copper or brass coating. Avoid those, they'll rust out.

PGJ