Fishing, I didn't mean to overwhelm you with info. I don't know what brand of resins you are using but they all work the same. Pot life is always shorter than actual lay up work. This is due to resin thickness. That is why you should have all you mat cut and ready to go once you mix up a batch of resin. Dont know you skill and comfort level to give you advice in that regards. It seems your skill levels are high. Working with epoxies will increase with use. I suggest you start with smaller batches and adjust accordingly due to environmental conditions that you are working in. I know this is very simplified but just have patience with your project.
Its all dependent on temperature. Fortunately with the mild temps we have of late set up times should be reasonable. When its cold it can take days for the resin to dry and become take free.
Just a few tips to offer. Working with fiberglass and resin isn't all difficult. Prep your work areas well and cut all your mats before your start your lay up work. Clean thoroughly with acetone. The expoxy resins dont like cold weather will take forever to set and they dont like hot either. Wet your mat thoroughly so it becomes clear. Follow up all fiberglassing with at least 1 coat of gel coat or the resin with break down over time. It seems you have a pretty good grip on your task at hand. Just dont rush things and it will work out well for you. Send pics of completed repairs, am very interested to see your results.
Decals come of easily by heating with a hair dryer and careful and gentle work with a 4" wallpaper scraper. Remove glue residue with acetone on a rag. Outlines are due to oxidation of your gel coat. Good buffing with compound will get your hull looking like new. You can order and design you new decals online. Shop around as pricing is all over the place. Just follow the instructions for application. Don't rush it and must importantly dont stretch decals when applying. .
Replaced the stripes and lettering on my boat this fall. Put the name on also. Cost me about $200 for everything.