Tim,
I have the same type of cabin sole in my Shark as you have in Equinox and I have the same problem. Water has made its way under the finish leaving black marks on the "holly" stripes. I too am concerned about sanding the finish as the veneer is so thin. Paint stripper is a great idea which for some reason I hadn't considered.
In your photo of the sole, after it was stripped, I noticed that you too have some black marks in the holly stripes. How do you plan to remove these marks prior to refinishing?
http://www.lackeysailing.com/equinox/im ... 122308.jpg