Overall symetrical integrity

[Troppo2929]

Folks;

I m tying everything together now and I am worried about the overall shape of the canoe. I'm not sure where the thwarts should be fastened, and once I figure it out and the thwarts are properly secured will the shape "center" on its own? I am "eyeballing" the shear at the ends and every time I look things over the ends don't look balanced. There is a lot of give in everything right now, up, down, twist left and right.

If anyone has a suggestion on how to true out the overall shape I could use some advice.

Thanks; Troppo

 

[MGC]

I presume that you are building and have the boat off the form and are trying to lock the rails and install the decks etc.
At the point you are at you need to square the stems both to the boat and each other. The inside rails will hold your lines when you tie the decks to the rails and the rails to the stems.
Once the decks are in your stems are locked so worry more about that than the thwarts right now.
You may use boards that are the length of the thwarts to hold the shape (or the thwarts) while you finish up the planking and trim the ribs.
The thwarts can go in after you draw the canvas.