Do you think these rod holders are structural

I am in tear down mode on my boat and would like to lose these in drawing up the new designs for the boat. Check photos looks like a bracket which is riveted to hull and seat with a wood part screwed in for the rod holders. I am thinking of keeping the bracket for structure and losing the wood parts. What do ya all think?
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=6733

I would do the same thing you are considering,loose the wood and keep the bracket.They may not be structural, but I am sure they add some stiffening to the gunnels.

ben2go said:

They may not be structural, but I am sure they add some stiffening to the gunnels.

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Well, if they add stiffness, they would be structural. If they weren't structural, they would add no stiffness of any sort.

I would do the same thing you are considering,loose the wood and keep the bracket.

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Why? If you loose the wood, the bracket is doing just about nothing - really just adding weight. The bracket itself is really rather useless, given its shape, it is very weak. It merely serves ONLY as a method to attach the wood, which does give some strength.

I am not sure how much strength it actually adds, but I will say this, most every vee I have seen has had some sort of triangulation between the gunwale and the seat. Yours is the first I have seen to use wood, however.

Those are original equipment and based on their shape I would have to say they are structural. Now, what kind of problem will you run into if you remove the bracket? Not sure. Perhaps you could temporarily remove them and do a float test or incorporate a support in the rebuild.