No. I restored my boat (see my signature for details), like many others here, having never touched a boat or fiberglass before. If you have a decent DIY mentality and are willing to do the work, it is not bad at all. Many of us have found it immensely rewarding to rebuild our boats, and I'm really proud that I was able to do it. I also learned a lot about my boat, how it is constructed and how it operates. It was an invaluable experience. Grinding out old fiberglass is hard, sometimes itchy work, but that was the only part that really wasn't much fun. Lots of folks here with tons of experience to help you, too. Just be sure to document stuff as you remove it, label every piece, and take lots of pictures to record your work and to let us see what you're doing.