Thoughts on I/O to bracket conversion by someone who did it...
Advantages:
- storage gain from inboard engine removal
- easy access to inside of transom and bilge
- don't have to modify the hull cap
Disadvantages:
- you must repower
- have to repair deck and transom engine holes
- may have to rebuild transom anyway if in poor condition
- should reinforce and/or tie interior stringers to transom
It seems to me there is probably a comparable amount of glass work in converting either an OB or I/O to a bracket, it's just different. At my low skill level, deck repair and fabricating flat panels/hatches were within my abilities.
Conversion to a bracket for both OB and I/O seems to be more involved and expensive than just transom repair. (See the recent thread on transom repair with SeaCast. I think that's a game changer for many.) Having an OB engine on a bracket outside the hull was worth it to me, and the access and storage gained by inboard engine removal is really nice.
See this thread for images:
http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...ad.php?t=23185