Following along with WOG's comment, I wouldn't go too far away from the MFGs recommendation. Realistically though, if you put in a transom that was larger than the factory one and additional glass tabbing it in and in areas surrounding the transom, your boat could probably take over 100hp no problem.
That being said, 50HP in a 14' boat is actually gonna do more than you probably think. If its a small number of people on board and not too much beer, you can probably do all the stuff you want to do (tube, MAYBE ski, cruise around on plane, etc).
Not to encourage you to up your power substantially, but its my understanding that the hp rating on a boat is more closely tied to the overall weight rating. Supposedly the weight rating and hp rating is a combined assumption of what the boat can handle and stay upright and afloat when swamped. The coast guard boat builders guide has the required flotation calculations if your confident enough to try and figure it all out with a larger motor.
The calculation seems fairly complex, and i haven't been all the way through it, but if you figured your total displacement, total weight and strategic flotation you've probably fingered it correctly. Just offering food for thought, I've asked the same question about upping power and received the same response, even to the fact that the boat will be un-insureable if capacity is exceeded. I don't know much about insurance other than i hate buying it, and I'm wondering what questions ill have to side step when I try to insure a 50 year old boat that I DIY rebuilt.
Your a KY Boy to. It sure feels like fall don't it. 61 degrees in July this global warming is killin us.
Proper repair will be grinding on a taper both sides and building upon gradually larger pieces of cloth and poly until you get back to the proper thickness, probably about 4? Layers on each side, grind flat and fare. Inside doesn’t need to be perfect in appearance as you will be glassing the stringer over it anyway.
and you thought the grinding was over
And with doing layers will I want to use CSM or 1708? Then how far out should I lay this patch from the center of this nice little hole I cut into the hull. Also because I don’t have wax in my resin, it still should sand fine with the “tacky-ness” correct?
Both... I did the same thing during deconstruction and repaired it like was shown on this video:
https://youtu.be/i9hfpOCnzEs
Worked really well.