: Dressy nuts? Interesting image that brings to mind. :-)

: So you're saying nuts and washers on both ends rather than a carriage bolt
: top and a nut and washer on the bottom?

You could eliminate the washer on top. The nut on top can be sealed with loctite, or you could peen over a bit of the bronze rod with a hammer, or even use a drop of hot solder to keep that nut permanently in place. Since it won't rotate it will serve the same as if it was the head of a bolt, and it won't need a washer under it.

You will need to drill a shallow hole big enough for that nut to be recessed so you are not always getting snagged on it. Fill in that hole with epoxy if you want. That will keep the nut nice and shiny, and keep water out of the wood. Should you need to remove that bolt later you can heat up the epoxy with the tip of a soldering iron, or some other heated tool and it will soften enough for you to remove the bolt and nut.

The nut under the seat or thwart rotates as it is tightened , so you'll use a washer on that end to keep the nut from digging into the wood.

Jamestown distributors (http://www.jamestowndistributors.com) sells threaded silicon bronze rod in 3 foot and 6 foot lengths. the page is at:

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/store/product_list_pages/Threaded_Rod_Silicon_Bronze.html?E+scstore

Don't get the fine threaded, but do get the standard thread. That would be 20 threads to the inch. (In 1/4 inch bolts a fine threaded bolt would have 24 threads to an inch.) If you see a bolt or threaded rod described as "1/4x20" or "1/4-20" then that's what you want.

The smallest diameter they sell is 1/4 inch which would be fine for your longer bolts. If you can get away with using the 3/16 or #10 bolts with your thwarts then go for it. Cutting bolts from the longer rods is going to cost a little bit more. Of course if you compare making your own bolts with what Jamestown charges for 1/4 inch silicon-bronze carriage bolts -- particularly the longer ones -- you'll come out ahead.

If you check this site you'll also find stainless steel carriage bolts and threaded rod. Check the prices. You may prefer to go with this material.

For your sliding bow seat consider mounting the cleat that the seat slides along directly to the hull with epoxy, and then put a fillet of filled epoxy under it. Then you don't need to hang that cleat from the gunwales, and you can use the shorter, cheaper, more readily available, bolts to hold the seat to the cleat.

Best of luck with your project.

PGJ