New to bottom painting

[crow]

Hello all, I'm in the process of getting a new used boat, the previous owner kept the boat in the water throughout the summer. The bottom has several layer of bottom paint, looking for advice on how to remove the old paint and repaint the bottom, I will not be keeping the boat in the water. What is the best way to remove the old paint ? what kind of paint should I put back on the bottom, since I will be trailering the boat. I've done some searches on the internet, however most of what I read has just confused me more. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Tom Powers]

PAY SOMEONE ELSE TO REMOVE THE OLD PAINT. . .

Seriously it is messy nasty stuff. The first and only time I sanded my old sailboat I discovered that the only way to get the dust off of my skin was to use paint thinner.

[Bryansfish]

I'd get someone to soda blast the bottom. Like Tom posted its a nasty job and you can have it soda plasted in a few hours.

[home cookin']

There's a lot of discussion on Iboats on this.
I always wonder: why not leave it on? The small compromise in performance can't be noticed in an older boat, can it, unless you are racing?
If so, why not paint over it with a hard slick finish--wouldn't that be easier than removing, which will probably require repainting afterwards?
Me, I'd rather spend the time boating and the money on toys than on cosmetic work on the part of the boat no one sees.