Peeling 30-year-old tape off 40+ feet of boat (both sides and the stern) is an onerous, tedious task, and the temptation is always there to use something to make it go more quickly, even if that something could damage the surface under the tape.

I didn’t go there. Not worth it. But I did manage to make some progress on the red pinstripe above the rub rail. The tip about using a heat gun to soften the glue and return some flexibility to the tape was dead on: Every so often, I’d get a nice long strip of old tape to peel completely off in one piece. Not often, this tape is thrashed.

I was able to successfuly remove my 2021 registration sticker as well. Not sure if I can get a duplicate from MI-SOS, but I’m going to try. The registration letters were another story. The standard black registration letters came off OK, but they were over a silver drop-shadow-type backing that is not coming off without some persuasion from a razor blade, and even then with great difficulty. So that had to stop.

I ordered one of those 3M eraser wheels and some plastic razor blades off Amazon, which is what the pros use. If you want to see a fairly scientific test comparing it to the cheap knockoff version and a fluted version, check out this video from Gander Flight on YouTube. He doesn’t wander, he doesn’t bloviate, he does a great comparison dense with facts and measurement.

In the end, this is where I ended up when I stopped, not wanting to risk damage by using tired hands to start a peel with a razor blade.