Building a good bench is the best way to save big headaches later on. I built mine using a pair of inexpensive saw horses (24" wide) and a pair of 18'long 2.5"x6" timbers salvaged from a torn down water tank. They needed some cleaning up with a belt sander (planer would have been better) but they were free. Look around, old silos, barns and buildings are a good source for long, cheap heavy planks.

Instead of screwing or nailing the timbers to the horses, I used clamps to make them adjustable. After all the scarf joints were done and the sheer clamps attached, I added some short vertical 1x4 and hung the boat by the sheer clamps for stitching and gluing. Later, I added webbing slings between the uprights to make a cradle for sanding and finishing. By clamping the long timbers closer together, the boat can be "gripped" for heavy work. Foam padding protects from dents and scratches.