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Slarkin50: I too am preparing to repower my 1971 blue hull Boston Whaler 16 Nauset with an Evinrude E-Tec outboard. When I rig the motor, I will mount it three holes up on the transom. I will drill new "green" holes. I have already filled in the bottom "blind holes" in the transom and I filled the center through hull drain tube; I relocated the drain tube to the right side, located outside of where the outboard motor bracket will be mounted. I do not advocate changing the location of the upper mounting holes, as Finnegan suggested, specifically because you will end up having two holes drilled in your transom so close together - in the shape of a figure 8 -that you will have a structural repair to complete on your transom. I also do not advocate the installation of a bracket on the 16 transom.

I use plugs cut from Pacific Northwest Fir (1 1/8 hole saw), polyester resin filled, then gelcoat interior blue spectrum gel and exterior white gelcoat of the transom. I installed a new brass tube flared with boatlife calk (sic) sealant.