[oldbluesplayer]

I'll second that - replace the transom - and yes, from the outside is fine.

Beyond what the surveyor did, if there is a motor hanging on there now, tilt it up, stand on the cavitation plate, and see if that transom flexs, at all - and realize with a full bracket you're going to be putting that much stress or more on the transom.

What is the motor cut-out - 20" or 25" - and if you bracket, you might as well fill that hole up.... and if you're going to fill the transom notch... back to it - you might as well replace/ rebuild/ recore the transom.

Another thought, IMHO, is that that wood can't be dried adequately - the original core is plywood, and I believe even if you skinned the transom and let it sit for several weeks, that the multiple glue boundaries in the plywood would prevent the inner layers from significantly drying out - leaving you guessing if it's good enough. In that same couple of weeks, you could skin it, decore and recore, reskin, fair, paint, and be done, and Know that it's right.

For what it's worth - on drying - I just worked the floor of my Seafari - it wasn't horrible, but one side was significantly softer than the other - I pulled the skin off one side, and recored, and reskinned. On the other side, I drilled a pattern of holes across the floor, 3/16" holes in a grid on 4" centers, and let it sit for three months to dry, with the boat covered, then poured resin in the holes and weighted it down. That side is better, but not good. The side I recored is Solid. For my money, from my experience, drying don't work.

but that's just my .02 worth.

I think with that size motor you're talking, you're going to need at least a 25" transom, and always plug the scuppers - or rebuild and raise the floor a couple inches - search thru the 20's page and see what the guys have done - you probably didn't want to hear all this - but we've been there.

best to you

Bill