boaterlady, I have read your thread since you started it. But I haven't offered much in the way of ideas and/or suggestions. And the reason is because you have got a huge boat project that in my opinion will take a huge effort to do it right. I have no idea what your skills are or how many tools you own or the types. But this boat is going to take a major effort to get it ready to float again.
When you state that the bottom "paint" is lead-based, which part, the red bottom area, or the mid-section white area or the top side blue area? My idea to address those lead-based areas is to suit up in a Tyvek total suit with a quality 3M respirator mask and gloves and then use a vacuum sander to sand the paint off and collect the dust removed. A lot of palm sanders have an adapter to attach a vacuum hose to it to collect the dust. But that is just my opinion. If you are seriously scared of the removal effort, hire an appropriate company to remove the lead paint. Then you can address the remaining gel coat areas. Either way, that paint has to go so you can then work the remaining finish. But along with the tyvek suit, you really should make a tent-like area over the hull and lay plastic sheet down to also catch any dust for the removal process. But it is doable.
You have to understand that you have a huge project that will take some serious equipment to work on it. Just getting the boat up and off the trailer (which also needs refurbished in my opinion) will take some quality supports because of the weight. Not simply a few block of wood, but some quality supports made for your hull so as you do get inside and out (and that is going to happen lots of times), the hull doesn't move even a little. You will be going under the hull to do work on it so safety has to be the utmost importance. JMHO
