> are you saying that you build skin on frame (or something similar) by
> using canvas sort of like fiberglass cloth? Sounds interesting.

Not exactly...I simply was making a distinction between wood and canvas canoes and kayaks. The fabric on a canoe is completely supported by planking. A kayaks skin is only supported by the longitudinals.

Thurlow rubs the filler into the fabric to develop a hard slick surface. I've had better luck on kayaks with building up two layers of filler on the surface a la Geo. Putz in his book "Wood and Canvas Kayaks".

Until I read Putz's book, I was of the "keep it very flexible" school of canvas finishing. My current project is my first using his hard finish techniques. I'll report back when I've had the boat in the water.