Rigging a Fiberglass Boat

heres a pretty informative thread...rigging

Unfortunatly all the pics have been deleted, I'll see if I can post mine again from my hard drive.

As for drilling without chipping the gel coat, masking tape and sharp bits is all you need!

found the pics in my gallery...

1.Drilling? I will go with what Knockoff said cover the gel with masking tape,,the masking tape makes it easy to lay out your hole patern and as long as you use sharp bits you should be fine.
2. I think the backing material was covered very well in the link Knockoff posted.
3.Drilling through the transom,,if you have to drill through the transom keep in mind that most of them still have wood cores so if water gets to them they will rot pretty fast,,so if I have to put a hole through the transom I will treat the inside of the hole with wood sealer and then put a nice silicone seal around what ever goes through it,,and check the silacone once a year to make sure it is still water tight...the same goes for anything you mount to the floor! water tight!
4.As for electric's, what ever you use for connectors try to keep them water tight to keep corrosion at bay,shrink tube can be a big help.
Avoid wire rubs and if the wires pass through any holes in glass or aluminum, a rubber grommet is a nice touch and it will keep the hole from cutting into the wire over time.
It is also a good idea to run the wire for you electronics down the opposite gun away from you motor wiring so you don't get RF NOISE leaking to you fish finder

First, I'll suggest, go with a track system. Berts and Pursuit both make excellent tracks, availible in any lengths. Looks super clean, and allows your to change your setup at will. Seriously consider this. It pays off in functionality.

1. Drilling without cracking the gel coat.-
You can Tape. I never do, but other swear by it. I drill in reverse first to dimple the glass, then drill my hole. Then counter-sink the hole slightly(with a countersink bit). You should be crack free. I usually put a small film of marine sealant under plates and such before tightening them down to kind of cushion it. No problem in 5 years.

2. Backing material for rod holders and downriggers-
Marine Plywood or Aluminum backing plates are best. Through bolt EVERYTHING. I don't use screws for anything. Use only Stainless Steel. Use locking SS nuts(like Nylok I think).

3. Drilling through the transom to run transducer/speed lines to graph-
The best way to make sure you dont have any problems is to overdrill your holes in the transom by 30-50%. Epoxy those holes back solid. Them drill the appropriote hole in that epoxy and seal your screws as you screw them in. This way, your screw is in solid glass/epoxy, and not touching exposed wood at all.

4. Electric downrigger hook-up. What electrical connectors do you like. I'm thinking a flush mount outlet for each rigger on the inside wall of the boat. It has a fully molded back so I will have to drill access holes to run the wire to the rigger.-
I used the cords and connectors that come with the cannons. I looked all over for quality flush mount connector but couldnt find anything I liked. I ran mine through SS clam vents and tied them to their own breaker/distribution panel mounted on the Starboard gunnel behind a access hatch. Run each electric rigger on its own fused line. Heres a poor picture of my cabling. Not the cleanest ever, but looks alright(IMO) and they are solid, water tight connections.




Have Fun. Theres nothing like the smell of fresh cut fiberglass on a new boat....

Jason I really like the over drill&solid Epoxy idea ,,very nice and the best solution I have heard so far! the only thing I might ad is if it is an older boat make sure you get an epoxy that is compatible with polyester resin,,,but I love the idea and I think I have just been converted.
I also think your cabling as well as the rest of your installation looks pretty clean to me,,especially when compared to some of the dealer installations I have seen!!
Oh-yea fresh cut glass with a slight hint of resin in the air.mmm,mm