Fabric Boat

I just saw BMW's concept car "Gina" today, a car whose body panels are made entirely out of fabric, like an umbrella.
What an amazing idea that is, and I am beginning to think that this would be one sweet way to build boats, too.
And I am sure someone must have done this before - I darkly remember Eskimo kayaks being built from whale bones and seal skin, if I remember correctly, isn't that right?
What other types of boat were built from fabric draped over a skeletal support structure, do you know of any?

Skin boats are among the oldest type of boat - dating back to the neolithic period, perhaps longer. A skin boat is simply a frame and a covering. Wood was the obvious frame material for thousands of years but aluminum tubing is some modern builder's first choice now. (What about bamboo, or PVC pipe?) The original covering was animal skin, but canvas has been used a long time, and synthetic fabrics play an important part in the current skin boat revival. Skin boats resist generalization. A klepper, an Aleut iqyaq - also called the baidarka - an Irish Curragh, a Welsh corracle, a Dyson aluminum framed boat, and any type of umiak are all valid examples of skin boats.

Skin kayaks have a distinctly "live" feel on the water, especially if the frame has been built with flexibility in mind. Such boats are responsive in ways that their hardshelled counterparts are not, especially in absorbing wave action.This flexibility is not inherent for all skin boats, but must come from how the frame members are sized and joined. This is one of the most talked about and least completly understood aspects of skin boats, one that can provide the interested builder with a lifetime worth of R&D.
http://cronus.rockisland.com/~kyak/sbfaq .html#what

2008-06-12 20:48:44 by Chaco-Yekke Downyonder

Learn how to clean and restore the waterproofing of your boat's fabric top.

I'm thinking specifically the canvas on the top and the cushions on the boat. They seem to fade so quickly and get a lot of stains from the water and salt. Thanks!

you might want to wash your boat off with fresh water after every use and then put a cover on it.........

2008-09-10 11:32:14 by bissa

Price: $19.95

We would like to use a cloth like feel on seats if possable. Instead of vinal

Sunbrella http://www.sunbrella.com/usa/

2006-01-28 06:28:56 by wildthang3

Price: $7.99 $4.81

i want to build a seat for my boat and im not really sure what 100% waterproof fabrics there are on the market or would i need to just use waterproofing?

Valtekz of course! But you will need to purchase through a designer. See photos below.

http://www.valtekz.com/gallery/gallery_m arine.htm

2010-05-27 06:31:33 by David P

Thanks in advance.

Here is the link for Sunbrella (outdoor fabric)...they have a yatch collection and you may find something you like. They also have sheers.
http://www.outdoorfabrics.com/ProductCat alogue.aspx?cid=61

2007-04-28 12:34:30 by handy_dandy