I was between boats years ago and I fished 2 seasons in a boat about that size with a 9.9 Evinrude on it. It didn't go very fast, and I had to be selective about where I went, but I caught a bunch of fish outa that rig. The transom eventually rotted out of it completely, but I retired it to the pond and still use it often.

You would be doing yourself a huge favor by putting a seat on the front. I bought a small pedestal that is about 12" tall and fastened it to the front bench seat, and reinforced with a piece of thick aluminum and it has held together for over 40 years. Getting your seat up higher will make it much easier to operate the foot control TM. Of course, get off that seat when running your new outboard. Good luck with it.