: Does anyone have a paddle rest on their wood boat?..........
: It looks a lot like two cleats sideways just ahead of the coaming .......

Frank,

I did exactly that on two Terns I built and I like the arrangement very well. I think adding reinforcement under the deck and cleats is a good idea. My cleats are placed so that the paddle shaft does not quite touch the deck peak that is between them (when resting on the two cleats). In this arrangement the cleats are not far enough apart to provide much leverage for paddle float rescues, so I wouldn't recommend that idea. I primarily use them for a secure place to lash on my ever present camera case and for a quick paddle park when getting in or out of the boat. They really excel for getting in the boat because the paddle can be snatched up quickly with one hand just by pulling the paddle shaft towards you.

Anything you can install inside your boat before gluing on the lid will be much easier than doing it later. On my second boat I wised up and installed the bulkheads in the hull before the deck went on. What a big difference that made.

Ted Henry