[Ritchard]

Great thread. Need to redo my boat name also. How involved is it removing the old painted name?

Gentle wetsanding should take it off reasonably quickly. Did I mention gentle?

With a nice sanding block, and using plenty of slightly soapy water start at 800, see if that makes a dent in the paint of the existing graphics. If not, step down to 400. Once the old paint is off, you'll have to buff up the gelcoat by running up through the wetsanding grits through about 1600 or 2000, then use rubbing compound and maybe a glaze. Your transom will be like new and ready for fresh graphics if you take your time.