Paint the outside of the skin using bitumen paint. The boat will need three coats to ensure the skin is watertight. Use a stippling action to work the paint into the calico. (You may wish to thin the first coat with 20% white spirit to make it easier to apply). Make sure the pleats/stitches are treated well and as the inside pleats won't be penetrated, these should be painted too. Allow time for the paint to dry between each coat - in a warm environment, this will take approximately one hour

When the last coat has been applied and the paint dry, fit the inner and outer gunwales using 1in (3cm) nails