: I will be bringing the fabric up under the inside of the coaming
: and stitching it to the coaming via holes - as per a somewhat
: tradtional method. The plywood I'm using is very dense and there
: are no worries of voids so stitching should not be a problem. If
: I add the plate, the fabric will simply go over the plate but do
: I need to attach the spacer to the plate - or can they be left
: separate?

: Sean

As Dave said, the baseplate adds a lot of strength and rigidity, and provides a stable base for the skin.
On the Sea Bee stripper I just finished, the strips from the deck serve as the baseplate and a 3/4" X 5/8"
coaming with a 3/16" X 1.5" lip. This setup provides plenty of room for a sea sock and the spray skirt.
A plywood coaming on a no fiberglass stripper ? .... Blasphemy :)

I've never done it the way you describe, so any comments on my part would be opinion ... And like they say,
1 fact is worth 10,000 expert opinions :) ... Tom