[Bushwacker]

There's no doubt that Awlgrip gives a great finish and you see lots of boats painted with it, but I understand that it's really not repairable. Unless you're building a museum piece, the reality is that any boat that is used very much is eventually gonna get some nicks and dings in it! If you're gonna keep the boat very long and plan to use it a lot, I'd vote for Signature Finish, which is easily repaired and can also be sprayed. I've seen Capt. Chuck's boat and would swear it's been sprayed, but it was rolled and tipped. Same for Skip & Carla's red Bowrider. However if I could find someone good that could spray it for a few hundred bucks, I'd be inclined to go that route. The important work is the prep, so if you can do a good job of that yourself, having it professionally sprayed might be the best bang for the buck, considering all the labor involved and the risks of fooling around with some pretty nasty chemicals!