... need not be a challenge. Waterproof packs or steps taken to waterproof a regular canoe pack will keep your stuff dry, and the packs are convenient to handle. To keep gear in the canoe, just use some rope. Tying two packs into a canoe takes about a minute, which is a lot less time than it takes to pack a bunch of individual items through hatch openings. Install lash tabs on the floor or just jam the packs against thwarts and tie them off that way. What's more, secured packs offer quite a bit of floatation that an empty boat does not have.
I'm no quibbling with your reasons for picking a canoe now or your preference for kayaks for tripping in the past. But I AM saying that keeping gear dry and attached to the boat is NOT a reason to choose a kayak. There are good reasons to use a kayak, but that's not one of them.
Heaven Forbid If we ever devolve to Mohawk Paddles, I’m done with the sport. There is ~$500 difference between a Mohawk and the better paddles available, double blade or single.
Cheap Paddles Hey, I don’t bash “well-made versions” of cheap paddles for the same reason I don’t bash entry-level canoes if they have a design that’s reasonably servicable (I bash Colemans but don’t paint Old Town or Grumman with the same brush). These are the things that get most people into the sport, and I figure that the “better” models among them probably contribute more than the truely crappy ones do. That’s also whyI’ve never understood your occasional comment that Old Town is the “bottomfeeder” of the canoe industry. Without Old Town, Grumman (and even Coleman), the market for high-end canoes would be a miniscule fraction of what it is because hardly anyone would have had such an easy chance to be introduced to the sport. I’d even go out on a limb and bet that you owe your career to the existance of cheap boats and gear.