Novice welding design question about ceramic backing in steel insert

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First I need to note that my stick welding is very rudimentary (decades ago I took four semesters of classes). I am fairly proficient in TIG welding stainless steel. My job is welding a couple insert plates in a steel boat deck (corrosion repair). It mild steel- A36 10 gauge (3.4mm). Small insert 8" square (20cm) with rounded corners. Welding from top side- horizontal.The question is with limited stick welding skills, should I just TIG weld it with backing ceramic, or practice more and try stick welding? Access to the back side is quite limited and very cramped.My drawing is to scale. The ceramic material we have here seems to have a pretty big cutout for this plate thickness? Perhaps I could flip the ceramic blocks so the flat side rests against the steel?