Transome outboard plate material

[vadney83]

Can you use hdpe or starboard for the transome outboard plate instead of 1/2" plywood? I'm not sure if it would be to flimsy or how sturdy the piece is supposed to be.

 

[Stand Up]

Welcome aboard sir.
If the material has a waffle design on the exterior, it would work fine. I think smooth material would allow slipping, but if you through bolt the OB it would obviously stay put in my opinion.

 

[airshot]

Wood was primarily used because it was cheap, but back in the day many motors used clamps rather than bolted thru. If your using a clamp type motor the wood gives the clamps something to bite into, where the synthetic material would be somewhat slippery. If your bolting the engine on, then it won't make much difference as long as the transom is solid.