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Your boat’s weight suggests that it is not built strongly. The limiting factor may be transom strength. When I first got my 12 foot tinny (125 lb) the transom would flex alarmingly with a 7.5 hp. I owned a similar boat back in the 70s with the same problem. With both boats, I strengthened the transom and routinely ran 15 hp motors on them, even though they were rated for 10 hp. I use a tiller extension when running solo.
With due care, the Elgin 12s should be good motors for your boat. One caution: the tiller grips taper down, which means that it will be difficult to keep a clamp-on tiller extension on the motor. DON’T run an extension if there is any chance of it coming off at speed. Find a way to keep it on.