Boat ownership

[Carl]

Thanks guys for all the well wishes and great advice. The transom is in good shape. There is no flex when I jockey the motor around. The previous owner had the transon professionally redone in 1987. He had it redone in the same configuration as the original because he had just repowered a year before with a 20" shaft and didn'y want to have to buy another new motor. I've thought about the jack plates but wondered if it put additional stress on the transom because the engine doesn't sit right on the transom? More things to think about I guess.