: as far as spare paddle bungies on the aft deck it's possible to reduce the
: contact with bungies that hold the paddle up off the deck so only the
: bungie is scraping the varnish.

I'm not quite sure I'm following you here. Is the thought to have a doubled bungie (2 lines parallel and near each other) so the paddle is "sandwiched" between the two cords? Or just have the bungies loose enough so the paddle isn't pressed hard against the deck? If the latter, I'm a bit leery that it would hold firm in big water.

Yes, my boat is getting used. I've intentionally NOT been babying her - especially since I overbuilt by so much! I know the scratches are basically cosmetic, so I'm not overly concerned. I suspect the problem will be reduced when I can leave the fiberglass paddles on shore & just use wooden ones.

Thanks for your thoughts.