Al canoes
Posted by: ppine on Oct-24-12 1:38 PM (EST)
Any boat is way ahead of not owning a canoe. They were the rage in after WWII. The serious drawbacks are that they can't be formed into complex shapes, they are heavy and definitely stick to rocks.
On the otherhand you can leave one outside in a snow bank with little effect. They are durable, used ones are cheap, and it takes a good wrap to ruin one. Find a Grumman with some length, at least 16 feet so it won't be so slow, and join the ranks of canoeists instead of wishing you were one. Later use it as a loaner and for rocky low flows. Good luck.