Raised my motor, but questions...

[erebus]

So before launch for 2016 I decided to raise my motor up a bit on my 1975 SF18 to see if I can help with my high-planing speed and general drag-ass performance I had last year. (see this thread from last August)

I know it's been mentioned many many times by a bunch of you guys in the know (looking at you Bushwacker. ), that the motors Anti-Cavitation plate needs to be approx 1-1/2 to 2 inches above the bottom of the keel at the transom for optimal Seacraft performance.

As the boat was set up from last year the Anti-Cav plate was just below the bottom of my keel by about a 1/4 inch, so I raised it up 2 holes.
Now the Anti-Cav plate is about 1-1/4 inches above the bottom of the keel, but it looks kinda weird.
Theres still one hole to go up so its not maxed out, but it just looks kind of odd.

Couple of my co-workers at the boatyard here were assisting me and they all thought that what I was doing couldn't possibly be right.
Here are a couple of pics.
I know she needs a sea trial to really know whats going on but Nantucket Sound has been a lumpy mess all week with winds consistently out of the southwest.
When I finally get out there, I guess I should be looking for prop blow out, and the Anti-cav plate running just about at the surface? Anything else?

Can you guys take a look and let me know if this looks right? Again, this is on an 18 footer with a 115 Mercury 2 stroke.