: Drilling holes in the fabric will be far worse, you don't want to
: do that. Melting holes though is easy and creates a hard edged
: hole that will resist the screws from grabbing the weave of the
: fabric.

: An external keel has the advantage of protecting the skin, helpful
: in a boat heavier than a kayak/canoe etc. where lifting it clear
: of the water before it grounds will be more difficult.

: Bill H.

Probably should have finished this thought, oops.

I use a soldering iron to melt holes in the cloth, a cheap pencil version has a smaller cone shaped tip. A nail held in pliers that's heated with a torch will work too. The larger pistol shaped soldering irons also work but tend to melt bigger holes than what's needed.

The drill is 100% worse than a screw for grabbing the cloth, can very quickly destroy a good piece of fabric.

Bill H.