I have two questions about suitable coverings for skin kayaks.

What would be the lightest material that would provide _reasonable_ service (lake use only, and trying to be fairly careful with the kayak).I am trying to decide if I will be making a serious mistake by saving money in using a cotton twill I saw today.I compare it to some samples of 8 to 15 ounce nylon I have and it felt much like the 8 ounce. I can find the heavy weight canvas here, but it is quite expensive, and at only 90 cm width means I have to buy twice as much. So what do you think of a cotton twill at around 8 ounces? Or should I bite the bullet and buy the canvas, or mail order the nylon? And as for covering, I was planning on exterior house paint or exterior varnish. I read somewhere to stay away from latex paints. Why? I would think the latex (latex is rubber, isn't it??) would offer some abrasion resistance.

Second question - I am really not all that excited about going through the steambending thing again for the coaming. Other than holding the sprayskirt, is there a reason a coaming is neccessary? I had this idea that I might be able to actually sew a skirt onto the skin of the kayak itself, and use either a bungie or a drawstring to tighten it around my waist, loosely, of course ;) I am sure I saw a skin kayak with one somewhere, but can't find the photo. Does this idea sound possible? If so, how could I keep the skin tight on the deck? One idea is to sew a loop of rope or hose onto the edge of the opening, and sew the skirt on top of that.

Thanks for any help.Kelly