Re: Cannon Downrigger Installation
The secret to drilling thru the gelcoat and into fiberglass without it splitting is to chamfer the hole first with a slightly larger bit. That bit should not be bigger than the end of the screw used for mounting. and be careful with the pressure, sometimes they want to dig in and grab and that too will split the gelcoat. Just use light easy pressure untill you break the gel and lightly touch the glass. Then drill thru with the proper diameter bit for the mounting screw. You may also need some backing of some sort if the mounting screws go all the way through. A downrigger can impart some serious strain on the mounting bolts.
