DIY Canvas Kayaks

Canvas offers many advantages for amateur boat builders. It is a sturdy and lightweight fabric that works well for a lightweight boat such as a kayak. It is an easy fabric to work with and can be painted to suit your own tastes. The canvas fabric will shrink after it is applied, making for a tight fit with the wooden skeleton frame. The drawback to canvas is that it will not last a long time. Depending on the climate where the boat is stored and how often it is used, the canvas skin can start to rot away in as little as five years.

Things You'll Need

  • Canvas
  • Pine or poplar board, 3/4-inch by 12-inch by 12-foot
  • Pine or poplar board, 3/4-inch by 12-inch by 8-foot
  • Saw
  • Waterproof glue
  • Screws
  • Clamps
  • Sander
  • Primer or sealer
  • Paint sprayer
  • Heavy-duty stapler
  • Caulk
  • Thinned exterior paint
  • Paintbrush
  • Plywood, 3/8-inch
  • Plywood, 1/8-inch
  • Foam, 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch
  • Mount gate or nylon straps
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Instructions

  1. Building the Frame

    • 1

      Cut a keel from the 12-foot board that is 3/4 inch by 1 1/2 inches by 12 feet. Cut 11 to 12 strakes that are 3/4 inch by 5/8 inch by 12 feet from the same board (see Reference 1).

    • 2

      Cut out ribs and bulkheads from the 8-foot board. Use the remainder of the board to cut out bow and stern pieces. Ensure that the edges are parallel when cutting the ribs (see Reference 1).

    • 3

      Assemble the rib and bulkhead pieces with screws and waterproof glue. Drill the screw holes so that the screws sit below the surface of the wood.

    • 4

      Attach the rib and bulkhead pieces to the keel using screws and waterproof glue. Do the same with the bow and stern pieces.

    • 5

      Mount the top-center strake between the bow and stern. Cut the strake where it meets the cockpit ribs so that the cockpit area will not be blocked (see Reference 1).

    • 6

      Mount strakes to either side of the center strake. Begin at the center rib and work forward. At the bow and stern, miter the ends and attach them with a screw and glue. Attach the remaining strakes in the same fashion (see Reference 1).

    • 7

      Build up the cockpit with additional pieces. Apply the pieces both along the gunwale strakes and between the strakes.

    • 8

      Sand the entire boat. Ensure there are no splinters and that all screws are flush with the frame to prevent damage to the canvas.

    Applying the Canvas

    • 9

      Drape the canvas over the frame. Ensure the center of the canvas is aligned with the keel.

    • 10

      Staple the canvas to the frame along the bow and the stern. Turn the boat upside down and staple at the points where the bow and stern point downward.

    • 11

      Make a slit in the canvas and fold it over to cover the bow. Repeat this process with the stern. Use caulk to attach the areas where canvas touches canvas, then staple in place.

    • 12

      Trim the canvas at the top of the gunwale, using the trimmed pieces to from the deck. Position the boat right side up. Lay the trimmed pieces in four strips over the frame to form the deck. Attach this with the caulk and staples. Cut two pieces of canvas for the side panels and apply them to the sides of the boat, using caulk and staples.

    • 13

      Coat the canvas with latex-based or oil-based exterior paint, applied with a paintbrush. Fully saturate the canvas. Apply three to four coats of paint. Sand the paint between coats for a smoother finish.

    • 14

      Cut out a floorboard from 3/8-inch plywood and secure it to the floor of the kayak with screws. Cut out and install a seat back, using 1/8-inch plywood. Glue foam to the seat back. Attach rub strips to the keel and gunwales to protect the boat. Attach a mount gate or nylon straps to the bow and stern of the kayak.