risk

I'm toying with the idea of sailing my E28 across the South Pacific (Asia to Panama). The plan is to beef her up over the next year and a half and go, but there is one niggle that I cannot find an answer to. The published Capzise Risk Factor of the E28 (found at...

Is annual "cut and polish" a good idea to maintain the gelcoat on Ericsons, or is there a risk that one might "cut" through the gelcoat over a few years? How thick is the gelcoat on 1980s boats? Is there a better alternative to maintain the gelcoat, as I don't want to have to paint the boat in...