Lee,

I like your idea:

: A simple solution is to use 4mm ply, cut the tabs down
: enough, glass the 4mm with 2 layers 9oz tape then install the nuts,eeek
: with half the wood removed for the recess.

In fact, I like it so much that I'm trying it. I have a scrap of 4mm okume as long as my foot braces, so I cut it into two 1.75" strips of the appropriate length (about 1" longer than the track). I cut the recesses with a forstner bit (I only needed to eat away 1 of the 3 plys); then after pounding in the t-nuts, I filed the tabs flush with the wood. Next, I removed the t-nuts drilled a 1/16" hole for each tab to fit in (I figure that this will make it easier to get them saturated with epoxy and to reinsert without pounding). Now, I'm glassing one side of the strips (the side which won't be against the hull) with 6oz glass.

Question 1: Do you really think that it needs two layers of glass? I was thinking that one layer of 6oz on one side, and being laminated to the hull on the other would be sufficient.

Question 2: Are stainless bolts and t-nuts absolutely necessary? All I was able to find at Home Despot was zinc...

Thanks for the great idea, I just want to make sure that it doesn't rip out after we get it installed. :-)

Later,

Tim.