Thanks for your comments...what is your priority for the foam as I've seen several posts say they are not doing it?

If you look at the last photo and click on it in detail you'll see the gelcoat cracks on the dirty (inside) of the transom around the engine area. Suggestions?

My eyes are not so great that I can get an idea of why the gelcoat is coming off in chunks if I am seeing that correctly.

Regarding the foam, people will say it leads to rot, absorbs water.......If not built properly it, sure it could lead to rot. Question is do you want the boat to last 30 more years full of flotation or 100 years and you are one piece of debris in the water away from having your family in the water awaiting rescue?

If you put drains in your rod holders and consider how water gets under the deck, you can figure out how minimize water intrusion. My boat was 30 years old when I ripped it apart and the only place i found water saturated foam was under the fuel tank. It got there from the bulkheads rotting out.

We have stripped the decals off the boat and I don't think we have to sand it down due to the shine still in the hull. I'm hoping simply compounding, polishing and waxing will do. I've got a buddy who does vehicle wraps and will work with him on new graphics to cover up the old ones and the shine left by the stripes.

What do you use the prep the hull especially with the glues from the old decals. we used a special wheel to rip the decals off the hull but the glue and such remains.

I know it should be washed with a acid solution (delimer) but can I acetone the hull...it seems to want to talk that adhesive off that adhesive mover cannot budge. Or will acetone damage the gelcoat in some way?

I REALLY don't know if this will work, but try some MaryKate On and Off hull cleaner. The stuff contains acid and is made to remove oil scum, tar, and most anything else from fiberglass hulls. Harmless to the hull, and it just might remove that glue residue you're talking about. Use it in a WELL VENTILATED area... like outside,..... and use gloves and goggles while using it.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Mary...f+hull+cleaner

Thanks Destroyer...I'm going to guess this is the same thing as the industrial d-limer I user her at work that is also a mild acid. It's amazing for cleaning the hull just like any over priced boat cleaner I've used (with acid) but it doesn't do much to those decal adhesives!

Well, you have three choices, you can use Oxalic acid or Muriatic acid (Muriatic acid is another name for hydrochloric acid) They are not delimers, although they might work for that use. Muriatic acid is used to etch concrete after all, so I'm sure it attacks lime. Or you can use Marykate. The three main ingredients in it are Muriatic acid, Oxalic acid and Phosphoric acid. Again, I cannot promise you that they will remove the adhesive residue, but I can speak from experience and tell you that it it has never failed to remove everything from my boats hull. rust stains, oil stains, scum, marine growth, creosote rub marks, you name it, it's removed it and it does it in a hurry. And of course you can also try Goo Gone (available in just about any home center store). or (no, I'm not making this up) Peanut butter. My wife uses it all the time to remove the sticky goo left on an item after she removes a sticker or label from something she's bought.... and damn if it doesn't work.

How do you feel about acetone on the gelcoat since it's doing the best? Any first hand knowledge or experience?

Tried goo gone, west marine adhesive remover as well as the industrial citrus cleaner we use for adhesives at work. Will consider the difference acid but just went out and tested the peanut butter...I think that's best left to price labels on the bottom of dishes!!

When I painted my outboard cowling I used 3m wood grain adhesive remover. It came in an aresol. Acetone will evaporate too fast. There's also a 3m general adhesive remover that should work. I hope that what's left is the glue and not staining from the eraser wheel. Sometimes they can heat up and burn the Gelcoat.

Thanks for the input...

The acetone works great...but I just don't know what damage it can do. By evap'ing to quick do you mean it's gone before it can do the work?

I'll have a look for the other products...

If you burn gel coat it's pretty obvious even to an untrained eye. This is clearly left over decal and glue.

Exactly. I work as an auto painter and what we normally use is enamel reducer. I was talking to a guy I work with and he recommended naptha. It's available at Home Depot and he said it's similar.