I'm finishing up my Osprey Std. and am planning on using t-nuts to secure the footbraces (it would kill me to drill 4 holes in my boat at this point). I need guidance, comfort, suggestions, and/or to be told I'm thinking too much. I've read in the archives that most people use a block in which to secure the t-nuts and then bolt the footbraces on. I wondered though if anyone has had any comfort issues with this because the footbraces are then in 1/2" or so on each side of the boat than they would be if you used the hole-through-the-hull method?

Wondering about that I discovered that by drilling a 3/8" hole in each end of the footbrace, I can recess the top of the t-nut into the footbrace. Now, all I have to do is epoxy the t-nut directly to the inside of the hull, bolt on the footbrace and I don't have to worry about losing any foot/leg room. But, then I worried that just epoxying the t-nut wouldn't be strong enough if/when I really jammed on a footbrace and thought I'd drill holes in leftover okuome (c. 2.5" long x 1.25" wide), run the t-nut through that, epoxy the wood (t-nut attached) to the inside of the hull, and then as above the t-nut would recess into the footbrace - meaning I only lose 1/8" on either side.

Thoughts, suggestions, insults, criticisms, warm fuzzies - anything is appreciated... :-) Thanks!