Hi Bill, When I had my derelict ComPac 16, and totally refinished it, I removed the bottom paint the hard way; by scraping; two square inches at a time................... It's dirty but effective. ( You also need a tolerant wife who will put up with going to bed with a blue faced man!) I had to do the same with the hull. Someone had put on a coat of latex house paint to make it a bit presentable, and the first 6 inches just peeled off.................. Hurrah I thought, piece of cake, but of course Murphy showed up, and all the remaining paint was firmly welded in place. Again time, patience, and a constantly sharpened scraper - and only a 16 foot long hull - and eventually the last bit of paint was gone. Refinishing is then the easy job Connie