I'm from Winston-Salem but I live in Seattle now. One dowel and a glop of thickened epoxy is all it will take to keep that sucker on. You can make a fairly plumb hole with a drill. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece. Small gaps are okay too; you wouldn't want it to look store-bought My boat is far from perfect - it's going to look great though.

: Thanks for the encouragement, Chip. It's very much appreciated.

: Do you suppose a couple of dowels or biscuits would work and be just as
: strong? I hadn't thought of something like that. Don't know how to cut
: slots for biscuits, but I can certainly drill holes for dowels. I'm sure
: lining the holes up straight won't be easy either, but it's got to be
: easier than what I was trying to do.

: I live in Cary, NC which butts up against Raleigh.

: Patsy