Like I said those who value the benefits of using an internal strongback have good reasons for doing so. And I would not say one word against that use. I didn't write that to Eric to take a "position" that would argue over preferences (to me this is like saying someone's "preference" for a favorite color of red instead of blue). So I don't want to get in to a back and forth here about others preferences, but only wanted to tell Eric where my vote was strongly in favor of the external.

If you let me "off the hook" here, ha, ha.... I will say that my "objection" to the internal strongback is ONLY a question of stability. If the internal strongback were of a material and construction that were truly stable my opinion would perhaps even favor the internal. I have no doubt that there are many ways of constructing such a strongback (with people like PGJ, probably many simple and cheap ones:-). So if I can paraphrase that old saw "I don't know much about art, but I know what I like.... I don't know much about boatbuilding, but I know what I like! To each his own and now I really should spend this time getting my cockpit to fit ..... Good building to you, never meant to say "your" way was "bad".

Joe