> I really like this idea.

> I had a thought about the underside. What if you also closed the webbing
> loop around a small circle of rope? This would give you an extra place
> under the deck to secure gear, and the rope could replace the back plate.

David,

Using rope in lieu of a backup plate should work well - however, because quite a bit of stress can be introduced to this point, and the primary function of the backup plate is to distribute these forces over a larger area, it would be wise to reinforce the area of the slots with additional glass during layup.