Any idea how to remove this J/30 floor?

[patrickkidd]

I am trying to figure out how to remove my floor so I can have a look at and possibly the probably very nasty 40 year old vermiculite underneath and replace my broken bilge hose. Another goal is to clear a drainage from aft of the bilge (via the "hidden bilge"?), possibly by removing the vermiculite?

I have drilled out a bunch of bungs but don't see any screws. Also, it looks like the floor comes off of the fiberglass lip around the inside of the bilge in this model, though I have seen other photos of later models of the floor coming up and leaving no glass barrier around the bilge.

Any ideas? I think the floor is still salvageable so I’d rather not rip it up to do what I want to do under there.

thanks!

 

[JRacer]

Check on J30.org - the class assn site. On my J24, we replaced the original floor with the teak and holly "kit" replacement from the factory. I don't recall off the top how we got the old sole out but I think it was screwed to the stringers. When we took the floor out, the vermiculite was a combination of mush and solid as concrete. Took from a scoop to an air chisel to get it all out. Was happy when I got it all out. You might also contact Randy Borges at Waterline Systems. And, you might contact J Boats about a source for the replacement floor. You will be happy with the replacement IMO.

 

[rgranger]

It might be an illusion of the photo but it looks like there is a flange around the bilge opening that sits on top of the wooden strips That functions as trim and it looks like you have actual trim over the strips at the companionway landing. My guess is you have a screw at the ends of each strip that holds them in place.