Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board

Backing plates and gelcoat crazing

Posted By: Dug
Date: Monday, 6 February 2006, at 8:28 a.m.

Another seemingly out of the blue question for the fine friends and folks here at Bertram31.com.

I have noticed that the front tower feet that are mounted on the face (front) of the flying bridge on my boat are starting to produce stress cracks in the gelcoat. It has been mounted for about 5-7 years, and the cracking started about 2 years ago. I don't think I used backing plates when I installed them. I darn sure want to do so now!

The question is multi-faceted.

First, material. Should I contemplate plywood, starboard or stainless steel.

Second, should I stay with the same dimension as the feet are now? Or larger (that is my inclination.) If I go larger, how much larger? In otherwords, if the foot plate is 4" around, would a 5 or 6" backing plate work better?

Last question would be should I stay round or does it matter if I use a square plate?

Also, and unrelated, Vic I think you may have crossed onto glaringly easy teasing land with your comparison of yourself to a doctor in a particular specialty. I will not touch it however. It would not be good form for me to do so! And I know I would suffer long term.

Dug

Messages In This Thread

Backing plates and gelcoat crazing
Dug -- Monday, 6 February 2006, at 8:28 a.m.

Re: Backing plates and gelcoat crazing
jp -- Monday, 6 February 2006, at 10:33 a.m.

Re: Backing plates and gelcoat crazing
Wayne -- Monday, 6 February 2006, at 10:59 a.m.

Re: Backing plates and gelcoat crazing
Tom Annulli -- Monday, 6 February 2006, at 11:23 a.m.

Re: Backing plates and gelcoat crazing
Walter Kaprielian -- Monday, 6 February 2006, at 12:05 p.m.

Re: Backing plates and gelcoat crazing
Chiles -- Monday, 6 February 2006, at 12:31 p.m.

Re: Backing plates and gelcoat crazing
Dug -- Monday, 6 February 2006, at 6:27 p.m.