Hull and mast repairs

I am new to this forum.
I am considering buying an older Hobie 16. The hull is sound, but the previous owner “ slapped” on strips of fibreglass on the bottom of the hulls due to the fact he launched it on small rocks. I believe I can simply sand off the fabric, but then would need to restore the hull. Quite a few small dings. Soooo, should use a body filler or gelcoat to repair the dents? Also, once that is done, should I apply a marine paint or spray gelcoat? The mast and spars are faded, so after reading some older forums, should I simply use Penatrol or spray on a Rust type of paint?
Thanks in advance.
Smerk