That is a nice finish and a beautiful boat...I am curious, What do you use for your fairing and filling compound under the paint? I have used the West System fairing compounds and high build primer with some automotive spot putty and had decent results but it takes a lot of time.

For faring I use the same epoxy thickened with micro balloons. For the best compatibility I then primed it with the high-build primer/sealer from the paint system. Spot putty helps with pin holes and small imperfections (sanding scratches, etc). It won't fix major issues. After the spot putty you prime again.

Yeah, it takes a long time but you have to be fussy to get good results. Like any finish work, good preparation to final painting is the key. Paint isn't as forgiving as bright work (ie varnish). It shows EVERYTHING. In bright work, the wood grain hides a lot of imperfections that would be glaring if it was painted.

Do you spray a gloss yourself to test for and avoid any flaws prior to it going to the paint pro?