I've heard all kinds of contradicting statements regarding this boats' construction. Who actually knows what the transom is made of? Some claim plywood, some claim the newer ones are composite along with the spec sheet suggesting the boat has a "composite construction" (not sure if this includes transom), and I've even seen one recent claim of structural foam. It sounds like the consensus is that the warranty is void if a jack plate is installed, which is not really applicable to me as I just bought this boat used. I actually talked to a couple of my local dealers before I purchased this boat, although I didn't think to ask them about the transom material, and they were in agreement that the SX is simply based off of the older model ZX hull design when it had a splash well and lacked a couple of bottom features that had been added over the past few years. One dealership even made mention of them running a jack plate on them and saw significant performance gain. If it is in fact a composite transom, what would be the reasoning in restricting it from a jack plate? I'm just looking to get an accurate answer and to cut out all uncertainty.

Thanks!

Here is a link to Skeeter Boat brochures:

http://www.dougvahrenberg.com/Skeeter.html

I've previously reviewed all the features of the SX200, but thanks for the link. Looking back through the history of skeeters, it makes it even more puzzling about the jack plate question. Up until 95 it appears all skeeter boats had plywood transoms at which point they switched to composite. Aluminum reinforcement wasn't even introduced in the ZX series until 2000. Jack plates are featured on the old SX model back when it was the top of the line, the ZX model, and there is even a jack plate on the 2001 SX200 brochure cover picture. Kind of ironic to me...

Yamaha purchased Skeeter in 1996. Due to this change the construction of their boats changed. They hired a few former F 16 engineers that's right airplane engineers to bring their boats into the composite era. If you know anything about the F 16 they are glue together not screw or rivit. Structural foam has been used by Allison boats for years before anyone else. Allison found out early that the foam had to be reinforced they used steel. Skeeter did not use any reinforcement they tested their boats motor bolted to transom in the gulf of Mexico beat them to try and break them. Well no failures while motor bolted to transom. Consumers buy the boats first modification is addition of jack plate at the dealer. Now the warrenty claims started saturated foam from cracked fiberglass and gel coat. In 2000 they abandoned the full length transom for an aircraft aluminum mounting plate bolted directly to the stringers. The SX modle is a way for them to use the old ZX molds no R&D no cost for new engineering. They kept the structural foam transom with the no jack plate restriction remember it tested great in the gulf no failures.

What difference does it make what the transom is made of as long as it is sound for the application which the SX is? Now if ya want to really get into the weeds let me know we can talk Gel formulations that changed for the worst thanx to EPA the fiberglass resin also changed. Dry application metal flake which to me looks like chit. Carpet the dirtiest thing known to man needs to go has for many years.

Thanks for all of the great information! It doesn't necessarily matter to me what the transom is made of per se. Basically I am trying to gather pertinent information as to whether the SX hull is in fact structurally sound enough to handle a jack plate or if Skeeter just had some ulterior motive to imparting the no jack plate restriction. Like I mentioned earlier, the boat is out of warranty so that is irrelevant. I've also read somewhere that Skeeter honored the warranty in some cases if an authorized dealer installed the jack plate. A couple of other sources also made comment that federation edition boats came with jack plates from the factory and carried the warranty; were these specially reinforced as opposed to a standard SX200? I am just trying to make an educated decision on whether to put a jack plate on the boat because I have seen and heard so many conflicting viewpoints from both consumers and dealers, as well as seeing the manufacturer place a 2001 model SX200 with a jack plate on a cover photo of their catalog which seems misleading if the boat is not structurally sound enough to handle the added stress of a jack plate.

I'm trying to figure this very thing out myself. I have been highly tempted to reinforce the transom myself with plate aluminum and copy Skeeter's bracing design they are using. Basically run thick aluminum angle, which would be bolted to the plate, to a point forward on the stringers and epoxy in anchors to bolt the angle to. I would make the plate large enough to take the stress from a jack plate and spread it out as much as space allows. I also have the ability due to a friend of mine to bend thick aluminum to make flanges for strength. BUT I would also limit my jack plate to no more than 6" setback. All of this was discussed and conjured up by me and a prop shop. Unless Skeeter is putting metal IN the transom, this is about identical to what they do on the current ZX models.

I was wondering the same thing! It looks like no more than an angled aluminum bracket. If that's all it is, it doesn't seem like it would be a big deal to just reinforce the transom to handle the added stress; unless of course there it aluminum inside the transom like you mentioned...

Go to 5:12 on the playback and you can see the torque transfer piece that Skeeter uses. A lot more substantial than I remember but still not hard to duplicate. I've been scouring the video to see if there is anything IN the transom and the only thing that I see is around 3:12 that may be a plate in the transom. Skeeter boat build tour

Transom pic
And here we may have the answer. The exploded picture does appear to have a wide piece in the transom as well as aluminum in the stringers that the plate bolts to.
But that's not to say that I'm not willing to try a 6" plate with my own torque transfer bracing......

here's my answer to whether or not the transom on an SX is strong enough for a jack plate.

some time ago .. customer came in with sx skeeter.. wanted to go faster.. i told him it would void the warranty to
install a jack plate. he insisted.. few months later.. and 6k dollars later.. he has a good transom.. cause it broke all
the way around the boat about a foot or two up the gunnels. that was with a 10 or 12 inch plate.

now.. will a 4 or 6 inch plate cause extreme stress to the sx skeeter and break the transom??? IDK.. i won't install a jack plate of any setback on a SX skeeter. won't try it again.

i can't see where a 4 or 6 inch plate would be terrible on it. but, that's your call. you own the boat.

If I had not have seen the video in the link above and the exploded view of the boat I probably would attempt the home made bracing. But seeing how big the piece in the transom is AND the pieces in the stringer, I'm not sure I really CAN duplicate it without a lot of effort. Possibly more effort than I want to do when it means I'm losing time fishing. IF I could guarantee myself a performance and efficiency gain that would pay off in a reasonable time, then it might be worth it in the winter when I'm too cold to fish. Still thinking about it......

The Skeeter suspended in air and supported ONLY by its four motor bolts is scary sick!

My nitro transom would simply rip right off the back of the hull.

I believe the modern bass boats these days would do just fine on the suspended in air test...IMHO. Saying that, all manufacturers have the potential to produce a less then perfect product at times.