josse, a FANTASTIC finish can be gained with spray tins, as long as the sanding is done right. ALL My boats are sprayed except the RTR's, whicg are color injected plastic moulding.
sand the hull smooth as you can get it, then spray the hull with primer, prefferable the same color as the real ships anti fouling paint, (red oxide in the case of Well Enhancer), let it dry, then add 2 or 3 more coats. once that has dried, get your local newspaper, mask off the hulls lower area, lay a layer of tape, then tape the newspaper to the layer of tape and spray the top color, allow to dry and then add a few more coats, letting it dry between coats.
once the paint is dry, apply a HIGH GLOSS clear laquer then any waterslide transfers, then add the satin finish. trust me Josse. :)
Nordie's paint job is also sprayed, though the surface wasn't perfect, as a result all the pits and blemishes show through, however that is MY FAULT for not doing a proper job. Andyn, she's coming to Wicksteed so you will get to see it
A respray of Celestia is planned for later on this year, I'll post a stage by stage walk through for ya