> i have made a kayak paddle from ash,cherry,butternut,walnut. the shaft is
> laminated and i am wondering whether i should fiberglass the shaft? OR
> just coat with epoxy?, OR simply coat with varnish?.

> P.S. i have already glassed the blades. Surprisingly i enjoyed the paddle
> making process more than the S&G kayak process, probably because i was
> creating the contours to my liking.

> appreciate any tried and true advice, Craig.

I am not sure what the correct answer is but I can tell you this. In my Sea Scout days we spent endless hours sanding and varnishing the 8-foot ores used on our 30-foot whaleboat. However the handle at the ends were always left unfinished to protect against blisters..