: The strongback is what broke, not the kayak.

Whew! Lucky.

I kept the strongback in any time I wasn't actually working on the boat up until the time I connected the deck and hull. Not doing so can lead to problems with warping as the wood and various layers of glass dry and pull against each other. That said, the real value seems to be in the continuous pressure of the forms against the sides, rather than actual structural support. Unless your strongback was smashed to pieces, you should be able to screw some patch plates on and use it. Even if it were in a couple of pieces, I think you would want as many of the forms helping to maintain the desired shape of the hull and deck until you connect them.

Regards,

Marcel