Patent ID: 8291636

Claim:
A fishing rod holder mountable in an opening in a panel of a marine vessel, said fishing rod holder, comprising: a hollow tube having a mouth for receiving a butt of the fishing rod, said hollow tube having an inner wall; a tubular liner received in said hollow tube inside said inner wall; a mounting bezel directly connected to said hollow tube and at least partially surrounding said mouth, said mounting bezel having a lower surface which faces an upper surface of the panel when the rod holder is mounted in the opening in the panel, said mounting bezel having an exposed upper surface which lies above an upper surface of the panel when the rod holder is mounted, said mounting bezel having at least one blind hole formed therein which does not penetrate said upper surface of said mounting bezel; and a substantially planar backing plate having at least one opening positioned for receiving a fastener through said opening in said backing plate and into said blind hole such that the panel is captured between said backing plate and said lower surface of said bezel to mount the rod holder to the panel upon securing said fastener into said blind hole, said backing plate having a second opening through which said hollow tube and said liner are received, said hollow tube and said liner extending through the panel when the rod holder is mounted in the opening in the panel.