What you are calling the rail, I'm calling a track. I guess I should have re-read the book before I posted... This is attached to the boat. Mine is fir, machined to a T-shape that is 1-1/2" across the top, and 1" at the gluing surface attached to the hull. I glued it with dookie schmutz, and held it in place with a sprung chunk of strip against the deck.

Where the brace rides on the track, I used two pcs of maple, machined into an L shape that grips underneath the T. I also used baltic birch on the plywood peices, but only coated it. The bottom peice of ply, and the maple guides, is what I'm calling the base. I glassed the center to the wings is all. Where it is breaking is on the bottom, where the maple L peices attach to the birch ply. The plywood does not have sufficient glue strength in it's inner plies to hold, and the surface ply pulls off. I've added hardwood cleats to the outside of the maple L pcs to increase the gluing surface area. If that doesnt hold, I'll re-make the brace with a different material on the bottom. The glass might help, but I bet you'll have the same problem in the glass pulling the surface ply off.

Of course, I'm learning to roll which I figure is the most abuse that brace will ever see, but if it doesnt stand up to that.... It broke last weekend, even tho the rolling is coming along fairly well.

: Could you elaborate a little more ? I'm not sure what you are refering to as
: the track. The parts I have thus far are: Rail (long part with hooks and
: flat top) made of oak, the runner piece (one flat and two L shaped pieces)
: made of fir, and the actual rest parts (wings, support, etc) made of birch
: ply fiberglassed on both sides. The oak rail seems very sturdy. I've been
: impressed by the abuse I've been able to dole out to the hooks with no
: damage. How did you attach your parts to the boat? I like the cleat idea.
: Will give that some thought.

: Bill