-- Last Updated: Oct-24-12 6:49 PM EST --
........ one , because it's Royalex (are you certain it's Roylex ?) , and two because it's a not a long canoe , 14' isn't too long to support closer to the deck plates as you decribed ... with a 16' - 18' I'd rather see it's supports about 4' in from each end .
Another thing is that Roylex gets stiffer with age (a good thing) , which makes it less flexy and less likely to end up bending out of shape from even improper storage .
As already mentioned , it's not been baking in the Sun , so UV over exposure is not likely .
Just be certain it is Roylex (you said you were new to canoe's) ... I've seen too many sellers say they are seliing a Roylex canoe , and guess what ... they were incorrect , it wasn't Roylex .
What brand and modle canoe is it ... what is the Hull ID # ... what year was it made ... these things are easy to kinow and can be checked out to confirm if Roylex or not .