[Frank Jones]

Hello everyone, I am new to this forum and having a little difficulty learning the ins and outs of posting. Anyway I have a 1992 mx 20 with a starboard broken windshieild any one selling one? Next I have water in the hull on the port side and I'm told have to rip up or drill into the floor and get the wet foam out anyone have any information where to drill so I get in the cavity rather than hit a stringer?
Also the seat and interior are a mess and I need to get them out but I donot see where the vinyl side pannels or floor pannels are screwed in, any advice as to how these come out. I know the boat needs a lot of work but it was my grandmothers, it then had MANY years of abuse but now I own it and my hope is to restore it for my kids and family.
Thank you for any help.
Frank

[Scottie1961]

Well welcome to the forum Frank! I'm pretty new around here too but I've done my share of boat repairs and it sounds like you've got a big project on your plate. There's lots of strategies for approaching a project like yours but the common theme would be to first determine the extent of the damage. If you have water in the hull then IMO you would want to find the source of the water. This will tell you where to start in your determination of the extent of the water rot. If you don't have soft spots in the floor, it's possible the damage is very localized. On the other hand if water has gotten to the wood in the stringers then this could be a major repair.

If the interior is in bad shape and you know you're going to have to do some work on the floor you might start with gutting the interior of the boat. Take out all the seats, carpet and anything else that will unscrew or unbolt. This will give you easy access to most of the floor.

Next start drilling "core samples" into the floor to see what's underneath. If the drill bit has gritty wet looking material stuck to it then there's water damage. At this point I wouldn't worry about drilling into the stringers because you want to know if they are sound. When the material is dry and falls away or looks like sawdust then you've found dry wood. Work you're way out from the starting point and that should give you an idea of how much underlying structure needs to be replaced. If the stringers are sound then you are looking at potentially just replacing a section of the floor decking which isn't too bad if you're handy with tools and willing to learn. If the foam has absorbed water there's no other option than cutting out a section of the floor and scooping that stuff out.

There are tons of videos on youtube showing large and small projects like yours. Good luck with your project.

Sidenote: On older boats a determination has to be made about the cost of repairs and the maximum potential value of the boat. In this case, if there is sentimental value then you may want to repair the boat regardless of the return on investment. Otherwise, you cold potentially spend more money on the boat than it is worth. That's your decision but just be aware of your costs and whether you could find another boat in good shape for the same money.

[Frank Jones]

Thank you very much Scottie,
Because of the sentiment atatchment I am determined to fix the boat even if it takes years. It looks horible but we have the engine running great and about 90% mechanically sound. We had a wonderful time this summer water skiing, tubing and having fun. I believe the water got in the front of the bow of the boat under the seat because when it sat dry dock for a couple years the tarp ripped amd rain water could pour in. The floor itself is very soilid but the boat lists to the starboard when in the water. I am willing to gut the interior however I don't know how the vinyl side rails and floor rails come off. They must have hidden screws or snap in place? Any ideas?
Frank