CONTINUOUSWAVE

[Inferred question: are the gunwales on a 255 CONQUEST sufficiently strong to hold swivel rod holders without needing to add KING StarBoard reinforcement but with using a backing plate]?

BACKSTORY
The gunwales on my 255 seem to have some sort of insert from their appearance. The gunwales are not glassed in completely to the boat. I plan to add swivel rod holders to the gunwales. I may add reinforcement using KING StarBoard. I will add a backing plate.

superbando wrote:The gunwales are not glassed in completely to the boat.

Boston Whaler boats are generally not molded with the gunwale cap as part of the Unibond hull. The gunwale cap and other structural elements of the boat are attached to the Unibond hull-liner one-piece assembly after the Unibond hull-liner one-piece assembly is created by molding, adding foam, and curing. This accounts for your observation that the gunwales are not "glassed in completely" to the Unibond hull.

Quick answer is NO.

You will need to add a backing plate to the underside of the cap and possibly a L shaped bracket to spread the load to the hull sides.