: years. Many boats have been made using either idea and all are working as
: advertised. Just a matter of personal preference and I prefer to have both
: at hand and useable for anything I wish to build.

Hiya Rehd

I think there are relative merits that can be assessed. And aside from the actuality of many designs assuming the external approach. My GUESS is that most designs would have some sort of baseline so that either approach could be overlaid. (I would say that any design that does not include some sort of reference line or baseline is incomplete.) IF either approach was therefore attainable, what are the benefits of either???

So for the external, you have to construct this 16foot by 2 or 3 foot monstrosity on the inside of your shop. You have to do it really well, accurate to say 1/32 every single foot of the way.(Or forever have to remember and remeasure). You usually have to cut double the number of forms (one for deck one for hull), and figure out another storage place for the half that you've just finished. Have to build a bench for that too? You don't get to see the full yak in context until seaming. And more and more and more.

For the internal, none of the above, just a maybe a box beam. No levelers or levels required. It stays together in context for the whole process.

So if there's no choice?? But if there is a choice, and I would make it so, there are relative merits that can be judged.

-mick