Wangeye , the smell in boats is Polyester resin . There is no place , even in tertiary structure , that polyester is used. Most primary and secondary stucture composites are made from Epoxy resin cured at either 120 or 170 deg c ususally in an autoclave at up to 100 psi. Boats on the other hand are usually made from chopped mat impregnated with polyester resin and cured at room temp with no pressure.
The main cause of degradation of Epoxy resins is exposure to UV light which is why it is important to ensure the paint is not damaged. Part of the qualification process for a new composite material involves long term exposure to extreme temperatures and levels of humidity. In the early 70's I worked on a program at Westlands to qualify several Ciba resin systems , this involved sending test coupons to Australia and Central America for long term exposure testing . The results of these test are used in determining the margins of safety used in design of composite structures. That beeing said the largest variation can be caused by processing , which is why there are stringent in process controls at all stages of lay up and cure . The hardest thing in the design of any composite part is attatching it to anything , the ratio of bearing strength to ultimate strength is far lower in composite materials when compared to metals , which is why attatch lugs on composite assemblies have to be much larger in relation to a similar metal structure with similar loads . Sorry to ramble on !!!.