No plates in Cherubini h27's
Didn't find a plate in mine. Instead, there is balsa with fiberglass on both sides. The correct mounting approach is: Drill a 1" hole from the top, leaving the glass layer on the bottom as much as you can. (If the wood is fresh and clean procede. If not, you have a rotting deck - see the archives.) Seal the bottom of the hole with tape, and fill with epoxy. This prevents any possibility of water getting into the balsa from this hole. When the epoxy is dry, sand the top to level it, and drill the hole for your mounting hardware all the way through. Use machine bolts and nuts with fender washers below. Cover them with wood or not to your preference. I lead my main and spinnaker halyards back to the cockpit this way last summer. Obviously, you want to lay out and double check all the hardware. I mounted a fairlead with two blocks off the stbd forward corner of the hatch (when open), two rope clutches, a winch, and a cleat with no problem. David Lady Lillie
