How to Remove Old Boat Lettering

Remove old boat lettering before you apply a new name.

If you've got a boat you want to rename, or change the style of the lettering on the current name, you'll need to remove the old boat lettering first. Boat names are either painted on or applied as vinyl lettering. Boat lettering isn't difficult to remove whether painted or vinyl, but when working with chemicals, scrapers or sandpaper be careful not to damage the protective gel coating on your boat.

Things You'll Need

• Easy-Off spray oven cleaner
• Rubber razor or chisel
• Sponge
• Bucket of water
• Dish soap or adhesive remover
• Fine brass wool (optional)
• 600-grit sandpaper (optional)
• Hair dryer (optional)
• Strip-It grinding wheel (optional)
• Hand drill (optional)

Instructions

1. Spray Easy-Off on painted lettering and let it sit for an hour. The Mariner's Guide website states that painted lettering should dissolve enough in an hour to be removed with one Easy-Off application.

2. Wash off the dissolved paint with a sponge or use fine brass wool, if necessary. For stubborn paint use wet 600-grit sandpaper, but be careful not to damage the boat's gel coat.

3. Apply dish soap and water to the vinyl lettering and use a rubber razor or rubber chisel to work up the corners of each letter. You can sometimes peel vinyl off relatively easily with just soapy water.

4. Use adhesive remover on vinyl lettering if the soap and rubber razor method isn't working. Apply with a sponge and work it under the vinyl with your rubber razor or chisel. Goo Gone, Goof Off, Rapid Remover and WD-40 have all been used successfully by vinyl specialists according to Sign Industry's website.

5. Remove any remaining residue with dish soap and water. You can try using a hair dryer to melt off any stubborn bits of vinyl that might still remain, but heat can damage your gel coat so work with care.

6. Try the Strip-It grinding wheel if you're still unable to remove the old boat lettering. First test it in an inconspicuous area to make sure you won't damage the boat's gel coat. Users of the SailNet Sailing Community forum report the Strip-It wheel attaches to a hand drill and can quickly remove vinyl graphics.

References

• Mariner's Guide: New Boat Lettering
• Sign Industry: Stripping Vinyl Graphics Made Easy