BF,

   I solo in a 16 Souris River tandem paddling backward from the bow seat with a DOUBLE canoe paddle, its 9 ft long. You need that extra length because the tandem is winder than a solo or kayak. I can point you to a good/rugged CANOE paddle for a decent price. Not the lightest but your not a lightweight and if a old guy like me can handle it, you won't have a problem.  ;) ;D ;D
   
I remove the stern seat so I can slide the heaviest pack to the bow to trim it out.
   
I prize stability and ease of packing over raw speed but as always others will disagree.

  Empty the SR weighs about 40#. Down the road, you want to bring your kids you'd have plenty of room do it. You can get snap-in center seats to make it a 3 man canoe.

  When it comes to toughness for the price I think SR is hard to beat. It's the go-to rental canoe for a lot of outfitters so that tells you something.
  Many outfitters sell used SR's after the season. I'd contact some and ask about it.

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