Hi

Am in process of repainting the hull of my CT and have rubbed down the 2pack keyed ready for marine enamel to overcoat it.

Problem i have is there are a number of small dinks in the wood and paintwork i want to fill prior to painting to ensure a nice smooth bottom but i am unsure what to use for best effect. Considered polyester car body filler but assume this will drop out as not flexible enough to cope with the woods natural flex.

Can someone suggest a beetr alternative that is relatively simple to apply and novice friendly?

Ta!

West Epoxy with microballoons to add bulk would be my choice.
Car body filler would probably be ok. It's usually a fairly flexible resin base.
But epoxy sticks better.

Body filler is fine as long as it's good quality. P38 is rubbish for example. U-Pol stuff is quite good.

Epoxy filler will "Ring" around the repair unless throughly primed, and unless the damage is structural is overkill for filler really.

International 'watertite' without question; it's a two part epoxy filler, easy to use and ultra smooth. Made for the job,not the car! If you are using someone else's marine paint then look at theirs too. Epifanes and Blakes both do two part epoxy fillers. Stick with like for like chemistry and manufacturers because it's safer.
See link for data sheet,

at £20 for 250g i'd expect it to rub itself down and prime itself!!

The key term here is user freindly. IE can be used in less than ideal conditions by someone not 100% au fait with the quirks of two pack products. That means not an epoxy as they are intolerant of low temperatures and don't like a mix that is less than perfect.

There's nothing wrong with using a product that is "too good" for the job if you want to, but i'd definately use a good quality stopper if it was my boat because it's perfecty adequate for the job.

For small jobs Plastic Padding do a convenient tube of Marine Filler (not Epoxy Filler)for about £7. I have used it for many years on both GRP and wood. I've never had any problems. It is tolerant of working conditions, goes off quickly, sands to a very smooth surface. As long as your preparation is good and it is well keyed it doesn't drop out. I always use it followed by primer, undercoat and then topcoats and it doesn't ever show through. I think some of the more exotic fillers might be needed for work that is constantly immersed but our type of boats are not normally left afloat. I use an epoxy mix for construction or more structural work but I don't find it necessary for surface dings.