he tells me the fiberglass cloth will be transparent after cured and designed for boats like this to show the wood underneath. it's needed for strength. louisiana swamps and bayous have cypress knees everywhere but the middle and it wouldn't last long without it. some knees stick out the water, many are just below the surface. with a wood bateau or pirogue, you can replace scraped, gouged and busted bottoms. doubt you could easily repair this type of canoe with the thin tongue and groove glued strips. with my luck, I'd have a size 12 hole in the bottom first time I stepped in it.
