Julie,

I have a 16' ladder strongback that was built for a Cosine Wherry. I put it on wheels, and then use whatever strongback the plans call for (currently a plywood box for the Spring Run, which works well). It's quite handy to have a 16' long rolling support. Soon to come is a removable table-top for it... I'd suggest using whatever strongback design the plans in question call for, simply to save confusion.

> I'm wondering about the merits of strongback designs: Gilpatrick shows a
> strongback that is shaped like a ladder (built of 2x6 lumber sides with
> 2x4 "rungs") laid across sawhorses. The other books describe a
> box beam construction from plywood, and you build legs to support it.

> Your thoughts/experiences about which is better? Other designs? Drawbacks?
> Things to look out for? I'm not looking to build the "ultimate
> strongback" (i.e. I'm not looking for one that will become living
> room furniture or convert into a dining table!)-- ease of construction (I
> did NOT take shop in high school), versatility (if I build more boats, I
> only want to build one stongback), and functionality are the key.

> Thanks --

> Julie