Transom Survey this am...issues-some questions....

[mbo_1971]

So I had the transom on my '84 20SF surveyed this am. Did an external moisture meter test and there was at least 20% saturation across the entire plane (needle went straight to the red - max - as soon as it was applied. He also did the mallet test, but could not find any dead spots. Finally we drilled a hole (16th inch) near the lowest bilge hole, and while the wood was damp, it was light brown, not dark and rot looking, and did not weep. So, my questions to the board:

1) I am hanging a rather large motor on this rig - 200 HPDI - should I be worried about the above situation?

2) If I do replace the transom, I would rather not tear into the inside of the cockpit. What say the board about replacing the transom from the outside rather than from the inside?

3) If I do the transom, should I do a bracket, or am I biting off a lot for a 20'er?

Finally - does anyone know what the max motor weight for this boat is/was? I know Riff Raff has a 200 HPDI on his, but he has done the transom. Wondering if I am just asking for trouble in planning on laying up the motor without doing something.

Surveyor suggested I cut out a few holes and see what the wood looks like or to cut a few strips of the glass away to let the wood dry. Thoughts in this as well?

Thanks in advance for assistance.

matt