I remember the original post where your in law sunk the boat. Heck of a bad day!

And I am the wrong one to ask. I have paddled hundreds, maybe thousands of miles in a canoe, through rapids, flat water, large waves...all depends on how you trap, and what the area is like.

#1 - So we assume somebody is meeting you downstream or you're leaving a vehicle downstream and someone is giving you a ride upstream to the start of the line.

#2 - That's a nice size river, probably have others on it too?

#3 - That narrows the options.

#4 - That's a decent stretch.

#5 - No landing. So that should limit competition. But also limits what you can launch.

#6 - Okay, so it's a one-way shot.

#7 - That's nice. Some rivers you can count on dropping slowly without rain, others seem to have a mind of their own, and some are regulated by dams downstream.

#8 - Smorgasbord. That means lots of gear.

So you've got the transportation worked out? When you finish the line there's somebody waiting for you or you've already taken your vehicle downstream with the help of someone else? An option I did many years ago was to offload gear at starting point, including canoe, then drive the vehicle to the pickup point, then pull my bicycle out of the vehicle and bike back up to the starting point and stash the bike in the weeds. Seven miles on average with lots of bends, I assume the road runs along the river? How do you have this part worked out?

So you're hauling your boat up and down a bank. That rules out any big flat bottom boat. I've skidded 14' jon boats up and down banks, but they were very light and narrow. I even laid PVC pipes in the ground parallel to the river and made my own "ramp" that way on private property. But you're hauling this boat back up the bank at the downstream end of the run. A 14' jon boat would get old hauling back up the bank.

I'd say you're in the market for a canoe. I wouldn't buy a new one. I'd pick Dave Plueger's mind and inquire what he uses. Experience of his caliber is gold. Might even give you some ideas you hadn't thought of yet.

Best keep a secure dry box on board with spare clothes and a click style propane torch for starting a fire to warm up. Spare pair of hip boots in a dry bag secured inside too. Sooner or later you're going to roll that canoe and you'll want to be dry and warm and soon as possible.

Ok, so based on my tripping experience, this all depends entirely on the canoe. A seventeen foot nova craft prospector is rated for 1000 lbs. It also can be easily paddled, portaged and carried by one person.

They are quite stable. Heck, we ran them down class three rapids some timesz and with a bit of skill they are extremely safe.

Not all canoes are the same. Get a real one and you will love it. I habe several ex tripping canoes I use. They work well.

I run an 18' modified V on big water
14' Jon with 6hsp on small lakes and flowages
12' 9" Golden Hawk on streams and small lakes

14' Jon is the best bet for stability but hard to load and unload yourself

The 12' 9" Golden Hawk weighs 65lbs has a 750 lb carrying capacity and you can put up to a 4hsp motor with a reinforced transom. I just ordered my second one.
I love the stability, you won't win any canoe races, but it's not like paddling a bath tub either, it handles well with the current keel design,

I had a fifteen foot Old Town square stern with a two horse Honda short shaft outboard on it. Me and a buddy baited bear with it often. Two guys, bait barrels, bait, tree stands jammed in there. You would have to intentionally want to flip it to get it to go over.

I've done a lot of hunting out of watercraft, but no trapping. I wouldn't hesitate to trap out of my kayak if I had an area handy to do so. I've gone on solo hunting trips with my tent, sleeping bag, rifle and tree stand piled on top of this and never for a minute felt like I was in danger. It has a waterproof bulkhead for storage, is incredibly stable and will smoke any canoe on the water. Paddles upstream as effortlessly as it does down, requires about three inches of water to float it and weights around forty pounds. You might be able to make out my climbing tree stand, bow and pack on the rear deck. So stable I never bothered to tie them down.

People buy these things with the best of intentions. They wind up in the garage unused and then for sale for a fraction of what they paid new.

Anyone used the Osage Missourian?

What was The boat Vinky used to show on here? I always wanted one of those.

I use a 12' fiberglass pirogue. Weight about 40-50 lbs. However i use it in calm water.