: I am planning to build a Gilly expedition and wondering if the is
: any down side to using an external strong back as opposed to the
: internal one Nick uses? Thanks for any input. I allready have a
: nice external beam. Joe

I haven't used an external beam, but I certainly liked the results of the internal beam I used. Having the beam in place when doing the deck retains the rigidity and shape of the hull very nicely. To support the boat during deck assembly, I just sat it on a couple pieces of scrap foam on a bench. No fussing with supports was necessary., However, since I have no experience with an external beam, I don't know how much flex you would have to deal with if the beam was not there.

One advantage of external beams is that they are more easily adapted to other sized boats.

Have fun,

Allan Edie