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| Start with a 1/8" bit and drill your holes. Then, countersink them. This is very important to avoid chipping the gel coat now and in the future. Then upsize your drill bits progressively until you get to the size hole you need. You might be able to go to the size you need with your second bit of the holes aren't that big. Just make sure that when you're done drilling that the countersunk portion of the hole is a bit larger than the hole itself.
I agree with a think rubber pad under the rails, though it's not necessary. Washers are bad because you don't want grit getting underneath. Either install a pad that is the same size as the base of the rail, or don't install a pad at all.
If the boat is very cold it's not a bad idea to warm the area you're drilling up to room temp before you drill.
Shoot a bit of silicone in the holes before you put the screws in and that's it.
You can avoid all these steps and it will work just fine, but you're much less likely to experience cracking in the gel coat if you follow the procedure outlined above. Hope this helps. | |
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