Quuestion about transom height

[tally20cc]

Good morning ,
I have a 78' Master angler 20 that I purchased as a project last July. Due to a remodel on my beach place and life just generally getting in the way , I've made basically no progress. That's fine as I built a 14x 32 shed off the side of my shop.
So it stays nice and dry and basically clean of debris.

I've never had the boat in the water, in fact never even cranked it until about a month after I got it home. I know crazy ,right? I wasn't really interested in the engine anyway. So yesterday I pulled the boat out from und its shed and gave it a bath, pulled out some wires to nowhere, and set there looking and pondering a course of action.

I decided to crank the engine and then I would winterize it. It's a 185 Johnson. It had about 30 hours on it since the previous owner had it completely rebuilt.

I pumped the primer bulb tight, turned on the water hose and it literally started so fast it startled me! Set there and ran for about 10 mins like a champ.

Well as I was pondering all around rebuilding the transom, which it needs I'm thinking about the raising it issue, and raising the floor.

Since this is a factory 25" transom with a 25' engine will the floor and transom need to be raised? Or has this been addressed by Seacraft with the extra 5" of transom.

Or.....Am I going to have to drop it in the lake (about 5miles away) and get a read on the waterline that way.
I plan on keeping this one and will put some kind of new/ new to me modern power on it somewhere in the135 to 150 range.
I guess a 135HO Etec is out of the ? now LOL and crying at the same time....

Sorry for the long post but any insight is appreciated.

[tally20cc]

Nobody ?

[KNZ911]

Hey Tally,
It's been a bit slow on here as of late. Seems to come in waves. It will start getting busy when boating season is over, I'm sure. As to the transom height, I would think to leave it the same as your motor is matched to it. The floor is a whole other story. It all depends how high above the waterline you want the scuppers. If self bailing, I would recommend floating it to get the waterline, then base your deck height from there.

[tally20cc]

That's what I was thinking. I would like for it self bail and not have to put plugs in when bottom fishing.
My skiff a Jones Bros. 198 Bateau will keep your feet soaked. I carry two liquid laundry detergent jugs with me all the time. I have the bottoms cut out and they scoop water great. I call them my Jones Bros bailers ! The problem is I hate scooping water!!!Especially in the winter Speckled trout fishing.

No problems if you are trolling or running it's just when drifting for flounder or spec fishing.

[strick]

I doubt that the floor was raised by the factory...I had never heard of them making 25" transom's on the 20"s either but I guess that would have been fairly easy for them to do. Always want to do a float test regardless.

strick

[rcnight]

I have an '83 20 SF with a factory 25" transom. I get around wet floors by crossing the scupper drains to the opposite side.

[lelandtampa]

I ran my scuppers right out the transom. And filled in the straight down scuppers. The blocks were both leaking directly into the hull just with hose directed spray. Makes it easier to see any leaks or to plug the scupper from the outside if you have a problem. Not to hijack but Tally can you still see the waterline on your hull if so how high up the transom is it?

[tally20cc]

No hijack lol. I cannot see the waterline . The boat's still hooked up to the truck, so a quick float at the lake is not a huge deal. The lake is closed Mon. Tues. and Wed. every week. I got carried away cleaning out my shop Sat. and Sun. and never made it to the lake.
I will though Ha ha. I work night shift, I have to get my rest in.

[Pergo1]

i bought a new leftover motor not knowing it was supposed to be a 20"and got a 25" so i had the transom raised because it was already at the glass guy. best thing i ever did. never get any water over the transom at all. plus was able to redo it as well.

[Vezo, Part II]

My ‘79 MA is a factory 20” transom. When I repowered in 1999, this site did not exist. My installer never mentioned raising the transom to 25, or even 27” prior to purchasing the engine. What year was a 25” transom an option on the 20’ models?

I’d never rebuild a transom at 20” again.

Vezo, Part II