thank you all! heres what i did. i pressure washed it with a gas machine washer and tried to get all the loose paint off still many tough spots. I def want to go the soda route, but for a 17 whaler its around 500 - 700. is that worth it? i am tempted to put good resporators on the kids and let them get to work. then they will look like little smurfs when done. i guess theres just no easy way. btw boat bottom never primed and never sanded which you would think would make it easier and the paint would just fall off