JiggerMan

I am adding a swivel rod holder with backing plates to accommodate a LP s1200. My boat is three piece construction. What are my options to stiffen the area where the LP will be putting pressure? I saw their rod holder support. But I think that is for a 30 degree holder only.

Could it be as easy as grinding down the gel coat and adding structural layers of glass to the cap and liner?

Smoke n Mirrors

If 3 piece, can use some marine plywood or maybe divinycell to form braces on either side of the rod holder from underneath. Glassing them to the underside will keep your gelcoat intact, and add a coue layers as you lay up the brace, tying it to the liner and underside of gunnel.

Burgmane

Pictures of the area in question should help.

Unless your cap is compromised in some way, or you already feel it’s weak and/or flexing, I’d think a properly installed HD rod holder with thru bolted backing plate would be enough.

You could install an additional gunnel support, made of laminated coosa or divinycell and tabbed in with 1708, but that would be the extreme option.

cgaskell

This. I have 3 piece construction too. Choose a rod holder with a large flange (Hooker Electric, Skurge, LD Marine etc) and matched backing plate, and you will be good.



Fired up triple marker acid-testing the rod holder. Flying colours!

sand key

Are you using for teasers or bottomfishing?

JiggerMan

Swording. I talked to some at LP and they had the same problem. I will post pictures when I finish.

Spunout

I got a piece of 1"x6" wood about 2.5 ft long trimmed it to fit up under the cap and wrapped it in a layer of glass, drilled it out to fit the holder and sealed with resin. It's like a giant backing plate

swaptrex

I have an LP and swivel 0 degrees (Aluminum backing plates) on my boat. I’m surprised you’d need to reinforce the area, unless used for a dredge or HST I guess.

offshorebri

How much drag do you plan on using? That will tell you how much reinforcement you need.

HookMeUpII

This is just me, but you will never max out drag enough on a sword to crack your gunnel. The most I ever run is 25-26 lbs at strike. 35 and above is where gunnels start cracking.

Too much drag on swords is counterproductive. They don't call the older single speed LP's "hook pullers" for nothing.

hamma job

People crack gunnels when rod holders aren't installed correctly, they hang bottom, and pull harder than they normally would on a fish. Anyone who has actually swordfished at all understands that hanging bottom, crab trawls, and thresher sharks go with the territory. All of which you will be over the magical number that everyone has pulled out of their backsides as to the maximum drag that can be applied to a swordfish.

Best way to do it is with as large a format swivel holder you can find and make a backing plate with as large a footprint as you can to distribute the stress away from the radius of the holder and the bolt holes.

Others need, like I did on my boat, to tab the cap to the hull to prevent the cap from flexing when applying a load perpendicular to the boat. Really all gets down to vessel-specific install.

HookMeUpII

Subjective. I personally disagree. Not needed. Put 40 lbs of heat on a rod built for swordfish and you might break the rod. Not to mention the stretch you still would get with braid even through 1400-1800 of line. Shouldn't be hanging up on stuff on the bottom because you shouldn't be ON the bottom. But hey, that's just me. Thresher shark, OK, that's possible.

But hey, different areas call for different tactics. We're spoiled here off NJ. 1000-1400' of water and 1-2 kt max current.

That "magical number that everyone has pulled out of their backsides" might actually work. Worked for me at least.

Sorry, I don't feel the NEED to reinforce gunnels for this application. Is it nice to have for peace of mind? Sure. I'd go with a backing plate made for the rod holder and call it a day.

HookMeUpII

I should add, if you plan to use a dredge...yes, you might want to reinforce the gunnel. You're probably at 25-30 lbs of drag consistently pulling a big dredge, likely even more.

pattyboytbait

I cut starboard to spread the stress out and bought longer bolts to accommodate the extra thickness of my homemade backing plates. Pretty cheap and easy, it's worked great for about 3 seasons now.

Spunout

If you haven't hung bottom swording or deep dropping, you are not going that much or not hugging the bottom close enough. Kind of like the saying about grounding a boat "if you haven't been aground you haven't been around". Every area has different bottom and currents so it may be harder to hook bottom in some areas than others. Put that sword rod in the rodholder and do a pull up. You will be able to tell if you need a backing plate/reinforcement.

JiggerMan

I am running a 6" wide of coosa on the backside of my cap. Glassing it in and tabbing to the supports on the liner. Adding a few tabs as well. My cap colluding take the flex from an 80 or electric for me to feel comfortable. My cap wasn't bonded well to the supports before I found. The coosa will run the length and incorporate all the rod holders. I will post pics when done. I am running a 22 Dolphin. Original owner. Thing kills fish.