On
the basic FS18 design Frames C & D have sections that form "ribs"
inside the cockpit that stiffen the hull sides and support the 8"
wide gunwales. The standard material thickness would be 3/8".
I decided to cut notches in the frame sections to create built-in
rod holders. Also, I felt that the 3/8" thickness was a little
too thin. The rod holders I designed are made from a 3/4" Corecell
foam core with 1/4" Okuome plywood "faces" on each
side of the foam core. The edges are rounded over with a 1/2"
radius router bit. This results in a very light weight and and strong
support system for the sides and gunwales.
Along with the rod holders, I'll be adding rod tubes that extend forward into the bow compartments and aft into the rear deck compartment. There will be 3 tubes on each side, both forward and aft. This will give me the capacity for twelve, 9 foot fly rods. Since I build my own fishing rods, I shouldn't have too much trouble filling the holders to capacity! Here's a shot of the basic pattern.
A bungee loop will be threaded through the holes and then lightly stretched over the rods and secured in the small notch in lip on each upper & lower section. 
The exposed foam core face has a layer of 6 oz. woven glass applied to harden the surface and protect it from dings
In the picture below,the rod holders have been primed , spot welded in place, and a section of fiberglass tape positioned over each seam.
 A side note:
The
observant will notice that I've added an extra "false frame"
in the bow section. This will hold two, 3 gal. plastic fuel tanks.
This also stretches the bow deck back an extra 12". I decided
I would utilize the extra foot of bow deck more than I would need
the extra long (9') cockpit in the original design. I think it creates
an elegant solution for keeping the fuel up in the bow, but segregated
from the main compartment. I'll be putting the battery in the main
bow compartment and this false frame creates a permanent divider
between the fuel and the electrical system. Another added benefit
is all the weight from the fuel and battery are well forward and
should help balance the boat.
The fuel locker "false frame" is installed just like a regular frame. However, this one sits on top of the sole instead of extending down to the hull bottom like a regular frame. It's tabbed and taped in place just like a regular frame.
There
will be a hinged hatch cover that goes over this added compartment.
If you look at the front deck plans it shows a cutout for the cockpit.
I left that cutout in place and it will be used as the lid to this
locker.
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