it's like the gel wore away over the years except where the decals were at, that part still has some shine to it
i can feel it thru the sand paper, wash rag and towel.

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Yep happens all the time. See it a lot on cruisers when they change the name on the transom

Grab the DA and some 320 and run over the decal area . Change paper often and keep it flat.short quick strokes with the sander. Don't let it sit anywhere.

Hit it just enough to get rid of the gummy high surface.

If you aren't good with a DA a block and some 600.

thanks guys
i'll stick a straight edge on the high spots and try to get a pic, it looks like grand canyon.

i wet sanded the whole deck left to right w/ 800 today and it cleaned up nice,
thanks for the suggestion i wasn't sure about going to 600 but i'll hit the high spots tomorrow.
no da, only light sander i have is a mouse, but for the block i have 220 all the way thru 2500.

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It's called "decal printing" and the problem can be that it may come back. The UV has attacked the exposed area, and the covered areas are more intact. For your best chance at a (longer) good finish, you have to cut all of it down to good gelcoat again and buff it all back out, or in a month or so, you'll see that old decal "print" start making it's way back. I had a jet boat once that belonged to Clint Longley of Dallas Cowboys infamy. On the nose was painted "Vindicator" (given to him by a supporter after a major win)

I sanded it down well into the gelcoat, epoxy primered, blocked and blocked, painted the entire boat in multiple layers of Imron, and after a couple of summers in the Texas sun, if you knew what you were looking for, you could make out "Vindicator" on the nose.

thanks guys, all good info and advice and i appreciate it.
instead of trying to sand down the decal area, which is 6' x 1' each, i ended up sanding it w/ 1000 front to back then left to right.
then ran the buffer w/ fountain of youth's vibra cut, it looks good but i can see less than a hand full of small areas 6" x 6" here and there where i didn't get it enough.
all my fault during sanding,not the products.
anyway i'm happy as hec it came back so well after only 1 shot, i don't think it has been waxed buffed etc in the 21 years it wasn't being used.
i figure anywhere the old decals still show thru will just be the ghost of the boats past.
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I did a 46 sonic that came from Florida. The deck was so bad, where there were decals. It was so worn away. You could still see it after done. At the end of the day, it's worn stained gel. And you'll never get it totally gone. Looks like you did nice work

"Ghosts of the boat's past" I like it!