If I peel off the boot stripe

[JF AIR]

Good day
If I would remove the boot stripe located under the rubrail, what is it that I should expect ?
I do not want to replace it with another one, just leave it bare hull...But not at the cost of having to repaint the hull
It has been in place for 25years...I am certain that some of you guys have fiddled with the same idea...
Tks for your comments
Jfr frm Montreal
No Habs No

[wes]

Hi JF - the stripe below the rub rail is a "cove stripe." If its brown and on a 25 year old Com-Pac, it is most likely molded into the gel coat, and the only way to remove it is to paint over it. I've dealt with this on two Com-Pacs, both 1988 boats (a 19 and my current project boat, a 27). Luckily (or unluckily) I wanted a dark hull anyway so I was already emotionally prepared to sand and paint.

Wes

[MacGyver]

I second Wes' statement,
And actually, in my opinion, it is easier to paint the topsides/sides than the deck, so I wouldnt feel too overwhelmed by the thought of that project.

I can tell you though that any stripe on a boat that old will show up after it is removed if it is a vinyl graphic. Gelcoat within about 4 to 6 years will end up allowing it to still show up as a ghost stripe. anything over that 6 year period, you might as well be prepared to paint,  or recover with a new stripe of the same size....

Mac

[JF AIR]

Thanks for your prompt advise
I am about to give the boat a cosmetic treatment ( de-wax,compound, re-wax )...If, as mentionned above, the cove stripe is molded into the gelcoat, I will treat that part of the hull just as the sides , and de-wax,compound,re-wax.Maybe it will give the stripe a new life.It is still in pretty good state, just that the color is fading and it turns me off.
Have a good day...Here in Montreal, after 2 weeks of sunny temperature in the 80`s, it is now raining and in the 50`s.
jfr

[skip1930]

If it's vinyl, over fiberglass or paint, heat the stripe with a paint stripping gun or hair drier and pull it off or scrape it off with a hard plastic scraper. If it's molded in, you should not be able to feel it above the fiberglass gel coat. So paint it.

skip.

[jthatcher]

my 23 is  a  1983.   I replaced both the boot stripe and the cove stripe at the beginning of last season.   the fiberglass underneath definitely stood out once i had removed the stripes..  in fact, it was easy to put the new ones in place by following the line between the faded and the original color of the hull..  well, relatively easy that is..  it is still kind of difficult to get a nice fair line.    But,  thanks to hurricane Sandy, I get to put a new set of stripes on the boat  for this season.. just as soon as i get a chance to get down there  and work on it!   jt