Hey Carl,

A jackplate would work for that purpose. You might find that most manual jackplates wont move the prop far enough up in your case to be effective. Some jackplates will travel 7 or more inches. But those are hydraulic and can be very pricey($1000 and up). Besides, a jackplate is just another accessory that can fail when you need it most. Keep it simple.

Save yourself time and money and find a short shaft engine.

Or build up the transom. There are many here who have been down that road.

Just my $.02

C.