Wakeboard tower installation

[daymienrules]

Well, the shiny new wakeboard tower was delivered this week, just in time since it's about 85 here today. Now comes the scary part, drilling my first ever holes in the perfectly good boat. Ive researched everywhere I can find, including about 40hrs of reading this forum. I think I've got the plan down, but could really use a stamp of approval from some boat guys. BTW, reading this forum as a 1st time boat owner, I'm convinced every boat out there needs a new deck, stringers, and transom. I don't even have soft spots and I want to drill test holes. On to the tower,
It's going to mount horizontally into the side, 4 mounting pads each about 5 inches above the rub rail. Boat is a 99 wellcraft 175ss. Tower mfg says 3/8ths minimum glass. I don't know how thick my glass is, but I'm going to beef it up all the same. I bought a 2'x2' of 3/4" exterior grade plywood, that'll be cut into 4 pieces for bcking support on each mount. It looks like I can fit about 5"x8" pieces inside the hull, maybe larger. These pieces will be coated with Bondo poly resin. Inner hull surface has minimal curve, so I got a pint of Bondo-glass (glass strands in a poly resin) to mount the feet to the inner hull. Once in, I'm going to tab the wooden plates about 4 inches with csm. Let it all dry over the week, then drill the thru-holes and mount the tower next weekend.
This will be my first time working with fiberglass and I now the Home depot bondo resin isn't the best stuff, but it think it should still get the job done right? Anyone see any problems with what I'm about to do? Thnaks!

 

[oops!]

Re: Wakeboard tower installation

i can help you....i install them.....but i dont have time to go into detail right this second.....sorry.

hang on with the bondo resin.....its waxed......so anything you put on after it will just fall off.....bolts might not be thick ebough to go thru the hull....hair....wood....glass....and the aluminium backing srtips

go to your automotive shop.....and get kitty hair or poly short strand mix.

find where the tower mounts are going to be ........smear the kitty hair on the bask of the board........and dtick it to the inner hull as a backing plate.....the kitty hair will take the inner curve.....

however watch out with the thickness of the wood....on a curve...the thru bolts might not be thick ebough to go thru the hull....hair....wood....glass....and the aluminium backing strips.
use a thinner wood.....stick it to the hull....glass it in with your waxed resin....and ill be back !


hope that helps.

cheers
oops

 

[daymienrules]

Re: Wakeboard tower installation

Thanks for the tips, exactly what i was looking for. Also, good point about the bolts, didn't think to check that.

Since the bondo resin is waxed, would it still work if I did all of the wet layup at one time? Otherwise I'll go get some laminating resin.