Does anyone Know how to remove paint from a boat without damaging the gel coat?

Question

I'm restoring and old boat that was originally finished in yellow gel coat, which seems to be intact. The boats been painted twice and when I chip away the paint, i can see the gel coat underneath it. I believe it was just painted with an enamel paint. It was stored for over 20 years without use so the hull is in very good condition. I'd like to see if the gel coat is salvageable just to add more originality to the boat. Does anyone have any suggestions on products or methods that will do this? Thanks

Answer 1

lacquer thinner will take off the paint and not damage the gel coat, do a small area at a time and wash off the lacquer thinner quickly

Answer 2

you could try a caustic based paint remover or toluol based thinners. If it is an oil based paint sometimes petrol/gasoline works. try a small section in an unseen area first. good luck

Answer 3

ia'm  very sorry i  don't know any  thing abou boats.  good lucu   peace out.

Answer 4

I recently had to seal a good size chunk on my PWC.  In sanding I ended up removing some of the gel coat.  I used this product to repair the gel coat after repairing the fiberglass.  I used a sprayer and the 10% acetone as recommended to thin it.

http://www.evercoat.com/productDetail.as...

Fortunately my hull is white.  If you did any damage in removing the layers of paint that are on there, this is just something to keep in mind, as you can add coloring to the mix and perhaps match the original yellow.