I just bought a boat and it is all gray's and ivory. I'd rather have high visibility colors for the boats I use in the ocean.

There are some spots that need gelcoat repair. Patching small gelcoat sections isn't a big deal, but re-gel coating a full hull (and deck) would be another story...

I'm not that familiar with paint. Is applying it really as simple as it sounds? The boat has lots of gelcoat cracks - small ones - do these need to be filled before painting? I've read some paints actually add strength, but is the main purpose just UV protection? How does this change the maintenance of the boat? There is still gelcoat under the paint. If the boat takes a hit and needs a repair does this mean all future repairs will require re-gelcoating then painting or can I just match the gelcoat to the paint in the future for small repairs?