I sand on cars in both of the shops from time to time so the thin layer of debris will just fit right in!:grin:Not sure if your deck would have to come off or not. It depends on how far forward you have moisture. You probably won't know until you remove the motor and start taking stuff out and poking around.
I know the guys doing the work will want plenty of room to maneuver around in there. They won't be happy in tight quarters.
I did the same thing you will be doing. I was uncomfortable plunging into this deal without any experience behind me so I hired a very experienced guy to do the work. Now, after watching and helping some, I feel comfortable enough that I could do it myself.
One word of advice, pick one of your shops where you don't mind a heavy coat of fiberglass dust on everything. This is a messy job with lots of grinding involved. Your shop will be completely coated with a thick layer of white nasty dust. Also, get those vacuum bags that go inside of your shop vac. I've filled 5 of them with fiberglass dust and sawdust over the life of this project. If you can, even run the vacuum (or put an air filter) in the area where they are grinding away. It will at least collect some of the dust while they are working.
I found someone that I'm going to use, I've seen his work, he's actually done fiberglass on several previous boats. He agreed to a flat fee plus materials. Soooooo, looks like we're gonna keep the ol' gal and do her right. I really like the lines of this boat and have ALWAYS wanted one just like it so what the heck. I'll be pulling the engine and drive next week. He's going to start next Saturday on the transom. I'll take some pics of the teardown.
I'm excited about this now...