: Seriously, more than the stem?

Seriously, more than the stem.

I hadn't realized you have done a lot of wilderness canoe tripping. Was this on the rivers of Maine?

I don't paddle carefully, I paddle in control.
After paddling in bucking whitewater for fifteen years and not bashing into rocks
head on, I find keeping my sea kayak and canoe stems free of divots quite easy.

I sustain the most damage from test paddles of my boats.

I find hardwood with 5 coats of epoxy and at least three coats of varnish holds up quite well for me.

Glass is no insurance from abuse. I remember one of the Newfound Rendezvous where
we had high winds one night and I left my Disko Bay too close to the water's edge.
In the morning one sheer edge was worn down through the glass to bare wood.

I like scuppered inwales on my canoes because it creates a more rigid gunnel allowing
fewer thwarts. A scuppered gunnel allows water to drain out easily and creates places to
tie gear. I like a complex outwale shape with a lower bevel that directs water away from
the hull, and I like a hardwood edge on the outwale for ware resistance and color / design
detail.

Glass will not work over scuppered gunnels easily. Glass does not like to conform to sharp edges
or recesses. Since epoxy has no immediate tack strength, novice builders will not realize
the gaps and voids that will result if they don't have the right glass weight, rounded edges
or fillets in recesses. Like everything, if you do it all the time and know the tricks it seems
easy and it easy to forget the pitfalls.

You've stated before, you feel learning those pitfalls is an important part of the journey.

I on the other hand, like to see signs warning me of the coming potholes in the road, so I have a choice
to slow down and miss them.

To glass, or not to glass, that is the question. Whether 'tis Nobler in the mind to suffer ....

Different coats for different folks.