Removing Old Paint
Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2025 7:06 pm
Give me advice on how to remove thick old paint from the hull of a Boston Whaler boat.
BACKSTORY
Recently I bought a 1983 15-footer in southern California. The boat is not a SPORT model. There is no railing around the driver seat. There is no back support for the driver seat.
The seller was 87-years-old, and in 2013 he painted the deck and topsides. The paint is thick. At the corners and edges the paint condition is rough. Under the paint the gel coat layer has spider cracks throughout. The seller said the boat was a work boat, and it had no top covering the gunwales. The seller also thought that the fiberglass was heavier [than something unspecified].
The deck and topsides need the paint to be redone. I would like to do this work in the winter of 2025-2026.
I plan to remove the wood [components] and refinish them
[Moderator's note: a survey question asking what readers held knowledge of the various models of the 15-foot hull has been removed. Please do not ask survey questions about reader's knowledge. Please read
POSTING GUIDELINES
https://continuouswave.com/forum/viewto ... ?f=1&t=848
If you want information on the various models of the 15-foot hull, please read the REFERENCE article about that model at
The 15-foot Hull
https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/15/
If you have specific questions, please ask them, but do not pose questions that inquire about reader's knowledge of a particular subject.]
BACKSTORY
Recently I bought a 1983 15-footer in southern California. The boat is not a SPORT model. There is no railing around the driver seat. There is no back support for the driver seat.
The seller was 87-years-old, and in 2013 he painted the deck and topsides. The paint is thick. At the corners and edges the paint condition is rough. Under the paint the gel coat layer has spider cracks throughout. The seller said the boat was a work boat, and it had no top covering the gunwales. The seller also thought that the fiberglass was heavier [than something unspecified].
The deck and topsides need the paint to be redone. I would like to do this work in the winter of 2025-2026.
I plan to remove the wood [components] and refinish them
[Moderator's note: a survey question asking what readers held knowledge of the various models of the 15-foot hull has been removed. Please do not ask survey questions about reader's knowledge. Please read
POSTING GUIDELINES
https://continuouswave.com/forum/viewto ... ?f=1&t=848
If you want information on the various models of the 15-foot hull, please read the REFERENCE article about that model at
The 15-foot Hull
https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/15/
If you have specific questions, please ask them, but do not pose questions that inquire about reader's knowledge of a particular subject.]