Bracket on an 18' boat?

[1rider]

I recently bought a '96 sailfish which is a knock off of seacraft's hull in many ways.

The notch in the transom to hang the motor is too low (IMO) and I get more seawater coming in than I am comfortable with.

My question is wether or not I can/should close the transom and put a bracket on it. I guess my concerns are wether the boat will still ride alright and wether there is an of the shelf bracket that I could purchase.

Thanks for any insight you can offer.

Patrick

[Bushwacker]

There is a lot to be said for the safety factor of a solid transom! The Hermco bracket is the only one I'd consider because it has the most flotation of anything on the market. Don said he can make them with different setbacks . . . 30", 24", and 18". If you stay with minimum setback and a light weight 2-stroke motor, that will minimize the rearward shift in CG and the adverse effects on low speed planing & ride related to a stern-heavy boat. Moving batteries, console and gas tank forward would also help.

CSC member Keys Cruz put a bracket on an 18' SeaCraft with a 150 E-Tec. It's a rocket ship that his boy really enjoyed, but I don't know how it rides in rough water, which would be my main concern. He hasn't posted here lately, but you might try sending him a PM.