Hard to tell for sure from your photos, but my guess is that the canoe was touched up with spar varnish or (more likely) a spray on lacquer to cover up scratches and the boat is so smooth that the finish is flaking. Or perhaps epoxy was applied without the surface being roughed up enough. The fix is easy.  The magic is a great hull
Looks like a great boat and deal to me.

(though you are still welcome to borrow mine whenever you wish)