This is a little bit old, but I thought I'd add my .02.
I am in the midst of stripping my bottom down right now, I'm using Franmar Soystrip.
It is supposedly the safest stripper on the market, made entirely (I think) from soy beans. No long winded
safety warnings on the back, though it does say that its' known to cause reproductive problems in
California. Luckily, I am using it in
Texas so am not worried.
Application is easy as could be, I'm just pouring it into a jar and slopping it on with a paint brush- I have been using the same jar and brush for quite a while now, the stuff does not evaporate. It has the consistency of honey and generally seems very inert, but does a pretty good job on
paint removal. Probably the best thing it has going for it is that you don't feel the need to wear a has-mat suit when you use the stuff, like others I have read about. It doesn't have an offensive or dangerous smell to it- seems very safe. It is supposedly safe on gelcoat, I have not had any damage-though I have been very prudent in
washing the areas well after use. It does have a warning on the bottle, stating that damage will occur if the product is left on for more than 18 hours. A little common sense will leave you and your gelcoat safe.
I tried it on some topsides where sanding would have to be done by hand, and it removed old one-part topside paint handidly. It is not quite as effective on
anti-fouling, but that could be because I was using it more liberally on the small topside areas.
I am NOT enjoying boat
ownership during this whole bottom stripping process/as the prep process for painting drags on and ON. But, soystrip may have made the whole process a little less terrible. Maybe. Also, it should be noted that regardless of what the franmar website says (not sure if it makes this claim), you will- or at least I am having to, do quite a bit of
work post-stripper for a clean bottom. I did not have excessive build up, and the stripper still leaves a bit to be sanded. It is considerably less than if the stripper had never been used-but leaves some, nonetheless.
It is not really a consideration here in TX right now, but low temperatures are said to decrease the effectiveness of this stripper, and pretty much all of them from what I have read.
At first, I ordered a quart ($27 or something) and liked it enough to buy a gallon (77.00?)
I'm sure that there are better write ups on the stuff on this forum.
Google franmar soy strip and it'll pop up. I have no affiliation with this stuff.