RE: Boat painters
I'm sure a lot of those paints are nice, but most of us do not have the tools for painting. ie...air compressor, spray guns, paint booths, etc.
I have done what Dreamin' has done on most of my boats. It will take some time and you'll be sick of sanding when it's done, but it can look very nice. I usually wet sand after each coat to ensure that it'll be flat. When I'm satisfied with paint, I then spray on an automotive top clear coat and wet sand between layers. When the wet sanding is done on the clear, buff it out and it'll shine like crazy. I usually make a paint booth out of plastic from ceiling to floor in the garage. I'll take a spray bottle of water and wet everything down inside the booth to ensure no dust is flying around. ...and start painting.