How to Remove Boat Names
When you buy a boat you will probably want to name her something meaningful to you. In the case of buying a used boat that means getting rid of the name someone else gave her. You might get lucky and buy a boat with a cool and catchy name that you love, but most of the time you'll have to remove old lettering to make way for your own. This is an easy enough task as long as you use the appropriate tools to keep from damaging the important gel-coat covering that protects your boat's fiberglass shell.
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Instructions
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Hold the hair dryer approximately six inches from the surface of the boat. Turn it on at low heat moving back and forth across one letter at a time.
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Use the plastic putty knife or plastic scraper to slowly peel back each letter as it is heated.
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Pay close attention to how long it is taking for each letter so that you do not leave the heat on any one area of the gel coat too long. Overheating the gel coat can scorch the area or even melt it and cause damage and a weakening of the protective coating.
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Use a non-abrasive adhesive remover to remove any leftover glue on the surface of the boat once all letters are removed.
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Use a rubbing compound that you can buy at your local marina or boat supply store to restore the shine and even out the color of your gel coat, if required, but do not apply wax before you add your new lettering. A layer of wax over the gel coat will interfere with new lettering sticking to the boat surface.
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Apply new lettering. If waxing is needed wait about a week before applying a coat of wax over the new lettering on your boat.
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Tips & Warnings
The instructions in this article have been primarily for fiberglass boats because the vast majority of pleasure crafts and cruisers today are made of fiberglass. Most boats that are steel or wood are small and not commonly lettered. There are rare boats, and the occasional sailboat, made of wood now, but removing vinyl lettering from wood is not difficult--it peels right off without difficulty. Boats are occasionally made of steel but these are usually small fishing boats or dinghies. If vinyl lettering is used on steel, peeling it off with a plastic scraper and using adhesive remover for any remaining glue is done the same as it is for fiberglass. As it isn't likely to do any damage to the steel surface of the boat, no further action is required to repair the area. If paint is used on either wood or steel to apply lettering to a boat the best method to change the name is to paint over the area as with any other wood or steel surface.
