Hi,
I’ve done exactly this with wooden plywood pads to protect the transom. Works absolutely fine. Ralph Roberts advised me to lock the engine in the straight ahead position and steer with the rudder. If you are steering with the rudder then be careful that the prop doesn’t chop lumps out of it.
Whenever I sail with an o/b on a bracket or on the transon, I always get loops of mainsheet wrapped round the engine – I think the trick is to sheet in as much as possible before tacking, but it always catches me out. š
regards
Keith