[ScottM]

Two seasons ago I used a product called Stripeez which is meant for stripping paint off of wood, but worked very well on my bottom, which appeared to have all original 18 seasons worth of paint still on it. It is a paste, so you apply it with a paint brush, let it sit for 10 minutes, then scrape with a putty knife and off the paint comes. The only problem with Stripeez is that sunlight reacts with it and will burn the gel coat, so you have to be very careful, especially around the water line. On the bottom it is shaded, so not a big issue. I found that it is better to use in cooler temperatures since it is pretty potent stuff, so for you Florida guys this may not be the way to go. I did mine in March when it was in the high 40's, then applied new paint when it warmed up a bit.