Best way to attach bench seat to boat? Rivets or bolts?

I'm replacing the plywood on the bench seats in my 15' Gregor. The old seats were attached with rivets, but I'm wondering if bolts would be better? The reason I ask is that I'll be installing a downrigger on the seat, and I'm not sure if rivets will be strong enough. The plywood is 3/4 inch MDO and I'll be putting a backing plate under the downrigger mount.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

in MY world, I use 1/4-20 brass round head bolts or 1/8" stainless truss bolts, put a drop of Thread Lock
on the nut, then cut it off flush. (in my world, I don't like the Ny-Lock nuts sticking out so far).
I find that it is easier to replace in the future if needed, easier to tighten up if needed,
come back and add something else to it in the future, if needed.
with rivets - they are good for what they are designed for - PERMANENT applications.
And they must be drilled out every time you change your mind on something.
In MY world, I find that not too many things are permanent any more.............

you do what you want to do in YOUR world.
Rivets? sure, why not.
Brass? sure, why not.
Stainless? sure, why not.
Galvanized carriage bolts? sure, why not.
Each piece of hardware has its own pros and cons in any application.


Jus my Dos Centavos