Karl,

Last spring we installed "marine" cockpit speakers on a Tripp 36. We followed Bill Seiffert's advice from his book, "Offshore Sailing," which means, among other things, we installed deck plates as recommeded. Here's how he begins his comments under the title, 'Cockpit Speakers and Other holes.' "Many owners whose boats have cockpit-mounted stereo speakers are totally unaware that they can admit seawater at the rate of almost 1,000 gallons per minute (GPM) if deluged by a 1-foot wave on deck." We race the Tripp (www.affirmedracing.com) in all kinds of weather and this was all we needed to read. Additionally, when the covers are in place, not only are the speakers protected from the elements, there's no worry about whether a crew member or guest might inadvertently poke a hole through the speaker grill or cone. Not shilling for the book, but it's one of the better ones, really practical advice, I've purchased.