: My SOF if just about ready to be skinned but if i sit in it the
: ribs pop out?! The ribs are rounded (not squared). If I lash the
: ribs to the gunales I am worried that the rib stock will just
: spit where I drill the hole.

If the rib stock is that brittle it is better to find out now--and replace the delicate ribs with sturdier ones before skinning. Probably you won't have major problems. The drill will shear the wood fibers, not force them apart, so the holes will not create a pressure which would split the rib stock. You could even heat a needle, or 18 gauge wire brad in a flame until it is red hot, then use that to burn a hole. The seared wood fibers won't split. Small holes give you the ability to pass artificial sinew through to lash the pieces. larger holes are great for pegs. Pick either method, or mix and match techniques.

: My brother thinks that the skin
: will hold it all together in the end. Is that a safe assumption
: or should I get this figured out before I skin it?

That is true. What you want to avoid would be getting a large rip in the skin. With loose ribs and a loose skin the ribs could fall out leaving you with no boat at all. Worst case scenario, and pretty unlikely. More likely is that the ribs will get wet and swell a bit, making a tighter fit in their mortises.

But good carpenters don't rely on chance to hold the joints together. If you can't lash or peg the parts together, and there is no way to use a wedge to hold the ribs in, the go for an adhesive. Put a few drops of quick setting epoxy in each mortise and set the rib in place. Once the epoxy hardens the ribs will stay in placw without holes.

PGJ