Building a boat from scratch creates the continual question of whether each new step of construction is going to be strong enough to hold it together against the forces of water and trailer transport.

Two main bottom runners go from the transom forward past the cockpit, and two side runners go up half way. The fiberglass fabric epoxied to the hull also adds stiffness, but at the front and back, it needs support points that are strong enough to lift the boat up.

At the back, white oak beams frame the inner transom, and the slots were cut to add side boards.

Next, the side beams are added over the side hull runners, and upright posts are made to tie the back beams to the cross frame and seat structures.

As usual, as many joints as possible are strengthened with dowels.

The dowels will never be seen after this step, and much of the beam framework will be hidden behind the seat or under the floor, and may be taken for granted. But if you ride in the boat, and you return to the dock alive, you may assume the engineering and construction made the grade. What’s inside a person floats a good life also.