The thing to consider about letting them stick outside of the boat is whether they will get in the way if you tie your boat to a dock or when you come out of a garage or other structure. The Driftmaster tip savers also come in a 4" stem or an 8" stem. They are easily removable and yet very sturdy. You can check them out on my website at Extreme Fishing Concepts By the way Driftmaster will also customize any of these if you would like. I have some on my boat that David at Driftmaster built for my pontoon and will hold 16 rods. I have had many comments on them.