There are wires going underneath the top portion of the gunwale, I believe on both sides, but for sure the starboard side of the boat, at least for me and my particular application. It really wasn't anything more than moving the wires out of the way by hand, though you might need to snip a few zip ties to get enough movement to get them out of the way when drilling. For my setup, I just pulled out the old rod holders that were towards the rear, enlarged the current hole on the gunwale because the Burnewiin's mount holes are slightly bigger. Then I drilled a single extra hole for each mount because the Burnewiin's have 4 bolts as opposed to the originals, which are only 3. All in all, it probably took less than an hour or so. If you know what you're doing, have the tools and the experience to do the job then it's an extremely easy project. Though, even if you don't much experience, it's still rather easy to do. Good luck and if you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.