Does satin finish show defects like gloss?

Hello all,

I'm designing my first fiberglass project, a piece with a lot of contours that will probably require some amount of hand-sanding. I want to think through the complete workflow before I start buying materials. I plan on using oil based exterior house paint, with at least one gloss base coat to help seal out moisture. I'm wondering about the top coats below.

This is what I know (if I'm wrong, please correct me):

• Matte hides small defects and wear, and requires relatively little sanding
• Gloss highlights small defects and wear, and requires lots of sanding through progressive grits, then polishing. Painful but also prettier than matte.

I'd like some amount of shine- How does satin shake out here?

• Does satin require a lot of sanding? If matte is 10% sanding effort and gloss is 100% effort, about where would it fall?
• Does satin trend more towards hiding or highlighting defects?
• Overall, is satin worth it? Or should I just stick to matte?

 

Why oil based house paints over fiberglass?

The fiberglass part needs no additional protection from water unless it's under water all the time, and house paints wouldn't be used below the waterline.

You aren't going to be sanding and polishing on house paint.

 

The paint is for above- water cosmetic effect.