[hermco]

Thats why bracket looks high it's a 20'! Ok. The 20' transom angle is 14 deg. If the bracket is a 30" setback and you had mounted as suggested it would probably have allowed you to mount the motor another inch higher with out any slippage. The water and floatation issues are to be expected with an aluminum bracket that has a minimal floatation design. The water flowing around the motor would not bother me, but if you want more floatation you need a bigger body on the bracket that will provide additional displacement and will also give some lift during plane like mine. Your Idea of making a fiberglass bucket would be fine if you had a fiberglass bracket so you could glass it to the existing.I don't know how you seal your fiberglass part to the aluminum and not have leaks. You do not want the thing full of water. Have you thought about leaving it open at the back so it could drain when getting up on a plane? If it was me I would pull the motor and bracket. Sell bracket and get a replacement aluminum wide body floatation bracket. Aluminum beacuse it will probably be the cheapest. The new bracket will cover the existing holes so you plug them with dowels and epoxy. No paint or finish work required. Mount new bracket and motor and you are done. Armstrong single wide body bracket with 72" wide platform lists for about $2200.00. Or try to get the guy that made his own out of fiberglass (Strick?) to make you one and offer to buy him beer. Or Build your own out of fiberglass and buy yourself beer. Or get a welder to add on to existing and see if he will work for beer!