Chainplate upgrade question

[Crazer]

We are replacing the chainplates on #268, and I'm having a friend who can do machining make the new ones for us. I would like to slightly increase the size of the chainplates. By how much I haven't decided yet. But my question is in relation to the strength of these new chainplates. If I beef up the chainplates but copy the locations of the bolts (so I don't have to fill the existing holes and drill new ones in the chainplate knees) will the chainplates actually be any stronger? The space between the bolts would be the same, but the chainplates themselves would be slightly bigger (wider and thicker) than the old ones. I guess thickness matters but by how much? Is it really worth it to keep the old holes, or is it really worth it to beef up the chainplates at all?

[Tallystick]

Tensile strength is proportional to the cross sectional area, so for example if you go from 1/8" to 3/16", you would gain 50% strength all other variables remaining constant.

[sscoll]

Lots of informative chainplate references throughout the forum but one point I don't see addressed is moving them fore and aft. I'm moving mine to the outside of the hull and adding a second lower. The upper shroud plate was through bolted to the bulkhead of the mast support, I'm sure most, if not all of them, start there to begin with. Shifting the whole business of plate attachment points a few inches isn't a major deal, is it? I'm glassing 3/4" plywood gussets to the hull to pick up the load and am going to move the upper shroud aft a couple of inches so the bolts are in the "meat" of that plywood.

I don't want to screw up the geometry of the thing but am thinking the originals weren't all that meticulously placed anyhow.
Someone tell me I'm not ruining this boat.
Thanks.
Steve Scoll