: I thought I could kick the habit and quit building kayaks but I
: have told my grandchildren I’ll make them a Sea Flea. I have
: never done an SOF and my reading has left me scratching my head.
: I would appreciate some advice on the choice of skinning
: methods. I see some people do it with one piece wrapped around
: the whole boat and the two edges stitched together down the
: midline of the deck. Others use two pieces of fabric, one on the
: hull and another on the deck, stapling/glueing both along the
: gunnels. What are the pros and cons of each technique? Do all
: those staples damage the integrity of the wood? Do you use
: stainless staples (do they exist)?

: Thanks for your help.

: Ric

Depends on what you cover the boat with and if you want to mess with sewing a seam and want a seam on the deck. I cover mine with glass so want it flat and use very light aircraft dacron for the cover under the glass. Using nylon allows for more stretch while putting on the fabric so it's easier to cover with one piece, though still possible (ala Kirk) with polyester.

I use plain steel staples, but again it's under fiberglass/epoxy so there is little chance of them getting wet. The staples are short, usually 1/4" so they don't weaken the wood to any degree. You can also use the tape seamstresses use to "glue" on the fabric, it works but is a bit tedious. It's a heat set double sided tape, applied with a household iron. I did one kayak with it so it has a two piece cover and no staples at all. I'm not sure I'd do that process without the epoxy cover as the glass/epoxy helps to hold the cover together something that a varnish or painted surface wouldn't. While the tape works it's not really a strong bond so I doubt that it's really permanant used alone.

Bill H.