Don’t make me laugh.
He’s already using it
for his stated purpose, so what is there to laugh at?
Perhaps you’re thinking cost, but if he did the restoration he could definitely do it cheaper than buying the new canoes discussed.
Sure it would be tough on a portage, but wouldn’t really weigh much more than the royalex hulls he’s talking about.
People could do that with cars too, …
… but the only ones who actually DO are the ones who actually enjoy restoration work. Same goes for wooden boats. Not everyone has the skill, tools and desire for such a big project, or maybe they’d rather use their free time for other things (restoring a w/c canoe isn’t something you’ll finish in a couple of weekends). Yours is a fine suggestion for a few people, but not for most.
True…
it isn’t for everyone. I’m in the process of my first restoration, and I’m not sure it’s for me. The stripping alone is time consuming and hard work.
Maybe the Nova Craft
Bob Special would be worth a test drive. Used ones pass by occasionally.
You don’t have to have a solo craft
to paddle solo. I have paddled tandem canoes solo for many years. Try a mid-sized tandem, and seat yourself just behind the center thwart.
Good luck!
Solo
Since you are a large human, how about a small tandem boat? Something in the 15-16 foot range with some rocker to make it easy to handle. Still easy to portage, more speed, and room for that extra equipment. I have paddled tandem boats solo for years. I am older now at 62 not embarassed to use a kayak paddle on lakes.