Stripping, sealing and re-painting your bottom is a nasty, nasty, nasty (to infinity) job. I am about a week away from finishing the job on my boat. I have spent about two weeks on it already.
I would add a couple comments to what the others have said.
Some
paint strippers are more aggressive than others. I got overly anxious and used a general purpose
paint stripper and found that it pitted my gelcoat in places, and now I have to fill the tiny pits with
epoxy. Get a
paint stripper that is designed especially for fiberglass. It works nearly as well as the other, but doesn''t harm the gelcoat.
Get a really good respirator that filters not only dust, but also fumes, and don''t be lax about using it, because the dust and fumes are all very toxic, and breathing even a little of it can cause problems. You should also use goggles to prevent
paint stripper from dripping in your eyes and to keep the dust out of them. Wear a long sleeve shirt and long pants when you apply the stripper, because it burns if it drips on you.
I''m retired with a son in college, and have more time than money, so I''m doing the job myself, but if you have more money than time, pay the man, let him do the job, and save your time for sailing.
All that having been said, if you have a thick accumulation of old bottom
paint, and especially if it has peeled and been painted over in the past, the job really needs to be done. If it''s really that bad, it could cut your average speed by as much as 20-25%.