No. 10 vs no. 12 canvas

[floydvoid]

I am just about ready to canvas my 15’ 50 pounder. I have number 10 and number 12 canvas available. Who has used number 12? Is there anything to be gained from a lighter canvas?
It doesn’t seem like I would gain a lot of weight savings but I may give up a lot in durability.

I plan to use the boat in lakes and rivers, I often put the canvas in more danger when the boat is stored or traveling than I do while one water.

 

[Howie]

I use the lighter #12 because I want to the canoe to weigh to less. It's not that the canvas itself is significantly lighter, it's that the canvas will absorb less of the heavy filler. But to be honest I've never actually done a weight comparison. But it seems obvious: the filler 'fills' the canvas, so if the canvas is thinner there is less volume to fill and it would hold less of the filler. Of course some amount of the filler also lies on top of the canvas, and that amount should be the same regardless of canvass thickness.

Of course some will argue that a thinner canvas will increase the risk of rips, and I suppose that's true. But that depends on how you use the canoe and where you use it. Sounds like your canoe will be in the 'light use' category. I should add that I've canvassed 40+canoes and never had a complaint about the canvas getting ripped.