TACO Anodized Aluminum Backing Plates, Grand Slam

The TACO Backing Plates are a pair of anodized aluminum plates, part BP-150BSY-320-1, giving additional support for Grand Slam outriggers on hardtops and gunwales.

An outrigger under load applies enormous leverage to its mounting, and a fiberglass hardtop or gunwale will crush or craze around the fasteners without something to spread that load underneath. A backing plate is what turns four bolt holes into a distributed load across a larger area.

Skipping backing plates is the most common outrigger installation mistake, and the damage shows up as star cracks in the gelcoat months later rather than immediately. Anodized aluminum resists corrosion in the confined space under a hardtop, where water collects and stays rather than draining and drying out. Explore more outriggers and rigging.

• Spreads outrigger load across the mounting surface
• Fiberglass crazes around bolt holes without them
• The most common outrigger installation mistake
• Anodized aluminum, sold as a pair