One thing i wanted to make a note of, is the way the transom is currently.
In this picture you can see that the stern splashwell and boxes are part of the top cap. There is a molded lip on the liner that is all sort of fits in. The cuts are ugly and they covered it up with starboard trim strips.
I don't like the design at all. Our thoughts are to open it up and do a full transom with a bracket. I cut the skin on the top of the stern cutout and the wood is 100% dry. We have also drilled several test holes only to find dry wood. It's going to be a tough decision but ultimately i'd like to pull the cap off and get a look at the inside of the transom.
-Mike