Looking to buy a canoe

[palabratic]

I have several different types and it depends what you intend to do with the canoe.. I run Whitewater and paddle lakes as well as play Ultimate frisbee modified for canoes and kayaks..
for a family boat (I have 3 kids) I generally use one of my aluminum boats, but that is because they are bigger and more stable.. keep in mind that a keel will add stability for calm water but may cause you to get caught in shallow water..
The modern trend is to Royalex or similar multi layer plastic. for cost effectiveness the Old Town is a good recommendation. For serviceable and dirt cheap you might look into the coleman boats..
I have a pelican as well and have had to repair the seats where they connect to the sidewalls, but otherwise they are good boats... Personally I avoid fiberglass at any cost because they break into pieces under great hydro pressure... aluminum and plastic mostly bend.. they can be "repaired" to a serviceable state in the wild with a couple rocks, sticks and a few good kicks... usually...

keep in mind that the aluminum and plastic are often lighter as well...
you can also go with wood ($$$) or with Kevlar or composite ($$$$$) and you can get some amazing boats...

We no nah makes some good mid to high range boats... that is a decent suggestion too..

Shop around.. go to an outdoor store with several varieties and talk to an expert there to get their suggestions too

[paddle daddy]

If you will paddle rocky rivers get a Royalex canoe. Fiberglass or Kevlar is good for lakes. Aluminum is noisy, heavy and doesn't slide over rocks so it isn't the best material. Then match the boat design to the type of water you will be paddling. I can give more specifics if you tell me what kind of water you will be on. I own 5 Royalex canoes and they last forever. 2 are between 35 and 40 years old and still look good. Store them under cover however.

[WoodBender]

I see you're in Georgia. There's a great canoe company down your way in Florida. Check out Nova Craft canoes. (novacraft.com) They make a wonderful version of the classic Prospector, one of the best all-purpose canoe designs ever created. For a family your size I'd consider 16 foot if you're never going on a loaded camping trip with it, longer if you're going to carry lots of gear.

[john.boufford@yahoo.com]

What is your main use. Fishing while camping day use(Sport), or travaling down a river and camping along the way(Touring). Review some canoe sites. Old Town Penobscot is a good family canoe. It was stable when my daughter 3 moved around or when the dog moves from side to side. I don't fish, but the Camper or sports canoe's are wider which makes them better for fishing but Ive heard people complain about paddling them on trips. I also have a Swift Canoe. Kavlar It is a dream to paddle. But when the dog moves from side to side my wife gets nervous.

[D Bish]

Guess I am showing my age. We bought a Sea King by Montgomery Wards ( lots of you will have never heard of Mongomery Wards) about 35 years ago and it is still in great shape. Me , my wife and 2 kids paddled it for years until they flew the nest and now it is just us Old Folks but we still love it.

D Bish