Removing Old Painted Boat Name & Hailing Port from the Stern

[MHBsailor]

After much thought, I have decided to rename my newly acquired Typhoon Senior. The previous owner had the name and hailing port painted on a long time ago, and I have no idea how to remove it without damaging the underlying gelcoat. Has anyone else figured out how to do this safely? Thanks in advance! JD

[Frenchy]

Almost anything you try will be better than what I did. I used Kleen Strip Fiberglass Paint Remover. It stained the gelcoat badly
and required a lot of sanding (with 400 grit paper) to remove. Fortunately, the gelcoat on our boats is thick.
I think the milder, soy-based paint strippers like Aqua-Strip might not stain the gelcoat, but don't have any direct
experience with that. You could also try just gently sanding the painted name with wet 400 grit. That's probably what I
would try, knowing how disastrous paint stripper can be. Good luck - Jean

[moctrams]

Try oven cleaner. It work for me.

[Sleepwalker]

I used the W Marine version of paint remover to do this. Worked ok. I used a plastic scraper too. The longer it sits the better. Rinse well, of course. And you will see a different hull color when removed.

[bhartley]

Before you sand, scrape or anything else... USE OVEN CLEANER! I have had the best results with real Easy-Off. Gel coat is left clean and with no scraping.

Just do it...

[PortTack]

What's the reverse of this... How do people suggest painting (or decal-ing) a new boat name? What type of paint would you use? Make a stencil?

[Walter Hobbs]

I have used the vinyl lettering offered by several companies on line.
You can design your name and hailing port is many fonts and colors.
Easy to follow directions come with them and results on three boats have been excellent. Just take your time.

Compare companies for prices, they very widely.

[PortTack]

Any company you've used in the past you'd recommend? Seems like a sea of options out there... Thanks!

[Steve Laume]

I used my local sign shop. You can visit them and go through all of their color, font, curvature and size options right there in front of you. Additional names are pretty cheap, so plan on doing your dinghy name at the same time. The vynal letters are easy to apply and hold up well. I have buffed over them, for years, with no ill effects. It is nice to work with a real person and support a local business, Steve.