This is hard!!
 

Well I started to take the bottom paint off of my 206. I am opting to scrape then sand I am using 220 then 440 I did a small section and it looks great!! I was going to get it blasted but that is expensive and I have heard it can mess up your hull. I am glad I didn't becuase if you take your time and do it carefully you can remove the bottom paint. My question is after I sand it smooth with 440 "wet sanding" what should I do "leave it" or wax it!!!
It takes a long time and its on the trailer so I think it will be done for next spring, cuz all the nice days I want to be on the thing!! ;-)

Are you using a chemical paint stripper?
Or just scraping it off?

I would've looked into a chemical stripper to make it go easier.

I would compound the bottom after sanding to bring back the shine. I don't know if a finer grit should be used after 440, but I'm sure some one here has done this before.

scraping
 

I have tried the chimicals but its really messy I have scraped 2 boats before and I don't mind lying on my back with a mask and goggles on!! Its just very time consuming!!!

I recall a memeber here using a stripper that you paint on the wash off with a pressure hose. No scraping.

I would definitely take it to a finer finish than 440. I know how much work it is but, 440 is pretty rough. Stuff is going to grow into that scratchy finish like crazy. I would go to at least 600, preferably 1000 grit and then buff with a polishing compound, not a rubbing compound.

I had to sand the blue hull sides of an '88 242. All faded out. started with 600, then 1200, then 2000. Then buffed with 3M "micro-stuff" (can't remember exactly what it was). Then waxed. Took me a solid month, every night and both days on weekends. My forearms felt like Popeye's. But, let me tell ya, that baby looked as good if not better than new. Almost everyone, even guys that know about these things, asked me if I had it painted. They didn't believe me when I told them I sanded it.

I've rambled on a bit here, my point was that with 600 grit, it looked scary. All scratched up. I wouldn't think you'd want to leave your bottom after 440 or even 600. Go for it man, make it pretty!!!! Don't stop now at 440.

I would go to at least 800 grit. The higher the grit the better it will shine and the longer the boat will stay clean when you leave it in the water. Then I would buff it out and run it. I would not wax the underside of the boat but I would do the sides for sure.

Jon

strippers
 

What other strippers are out there besides peel away I tried it and It didn't desolve it!!! Not a drop. I tried oven cleaner but that only takes of a small top layer. It is very hard to scrape off and very time consuming. I don;t want to have it blasted off though. Is there any other chimical that will work!!

As I've said before, a pressure washer with the sand blasting attachment took it off my 20SC. It was much smoother than the bead blasting I had done on my 242.

West Marine, Boater's World, etc.

Stripper for fiberglass. Works well. Smear it on, lay Saran wrap over it to keep it from drying too fast, and then come back with scrapers and roll it off in big nasty sheets. (Wear gloves and long sleeves and eyeglasses and a vapor mask).

Hardware store stripper will work good, but softens the gel coat (bad).

400 grit is too rough.
Finish it with 800 on a DoubleAction sander, then polishing compound.

Keep your edges sharp on chines, etc..

I'm surprised peel away didn't work. You've got to leave it on for almost 24 hours.