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Random Quote: If my hull is 25'6" and I have a bow pulpit and engine bracket, does that mean I have a 29 Abaco?
If it's painted on, the spray type oven cleaner works just fine(no particular brand or flavor). I've done it many times and got zero damage to gel coat. "Spray On, Sponge Off!
I removed painted names from every imaginable surface for over thirty years using E-Z Off oven cleaner, and never had a complaint. Spray it on, wash off with a hose, repeat if needed. When clean wash with soap and water.Just be sure to wipe the surface with denatured alcohol just before applying new graphics, painted or vinyl. Reds and blues and colors with reds and blues in them are vagrant and will fade faster than others. This also goes for paints and vinyls.Grey fades because real grey is made up of orange and green, so watch it too. Good luck
"In the beginning there were fish in the sea, and it was good.
Then there were boats and skillets, and it was very good."
I'd like to remove the name and leave the sides of the boat clean. Other than some difference due to fading, will the pigments of the paint stain the gelcoat? Is there a special buffing compound and waxing sequence that should be undertaken once the lettering is removed?
EZ-OFF works the best. You may get some yellowing upon application that goes away when washed off. Depending on how long the name has been on the side you will have a raised area under the name. Just use heavy compounding wax, followed by fine, followed by wax. You will just have to work at it slow. Take your time because there is no use in removing too much gelcoat. I just hand buff until most of the raised section is gone. Plus when my 35 Bertram hull goes by ain't no body looking to see if a name was painted on the bow!!!
Just to augment my earlier post about using spray on oven cleaner...You will probably find a different "tint" or "shading" where you removed the paint. This is not due to the removal. It's caused because that area could not "weather" like the surrounding areas. It seems to take only a couple days for that difference to disappear.
I just did the transom of my Blackfin this past weekend. Just like everybody has said so far, I used easy-off. It took a couple applications, and there was some yellowing, but after washing it down, it's not nearly as bad as it originally appeared.
I am planning on compounding the transom this weekend, and if that doesn't do it, I'll wet sand, starting with 400 grit and work it with progressively finer grit paper, and then buff it out.
Ace harware sell a product for removing grafetti called "GOOF OFF" works great! doesent discolor but as some one said the glass will fade and no longer match the shade that was covered by the letering
mid west boat dealer since1957 mom and pop shop johnson/evienrude Honda
ARRGGGHHH! I wish I could have seen this post sooner! I've been using acetone on an old t-shirt and scapping it off with my fingers. It worked well until I got tired of working on it all morning. I do have a raised area where it was painted and I bought some rubbing compound, but when I tested it under the hull it left a brownish color - the rubbing compound was from Autozone and for a car. Is this the correct stuff?
Egads, don't you people realize that the (Insert Marina Store here) people have to eat too? How are they gonna afford their lifestyle if they can't gouch us all?
I'll agree with SAILOR, I used a Marine based product. About 1/2 of it came off in about 10 minutes ... nice and easy. The last half came of with lots of hard work over the next two days of painting the stuff on, scraping it off .... and repeating (too many times to count). I got the final bits off and any shading by compounding it at the end.
I have a big job that I'm currently working on. Not only did the last owner put the name of the boat on the side but covered the lettering and sides, from midship to stern and rubrail to bottom, in some sort of clear coat. The clear coat is flakely and comes off relatively easy if I let the oven cleaner sit for 20-30 minutes but there's just so much of it (8'X2.5'). Glad I found this post though cause the acetone I tested a while back would've taken forever. Try to get some pics up when I'm done...and when Tropical Storm Bill goes away.
I don't want to sound bias here, but we carry what I think is the best natural wax available on the marine market today. That's Collinite 885 Fleetwax paste.
First you would apply (with a orbital/power buffer) the 920 Fiberglass cleaner, then apply the 885 paste with a damp towel by hand, in small sections at a time - do not let it dry hard - before removing the paste using a clean 100% cotton towel or terrycloth.
The results are pretty amazing! The best part is, the 885 paste works great on clearcoat automobile paints as well. I just did mine this week.
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Removal of name painted on gelcoat 
