A stand-up Canadian by Alex Hickson

It is amazing when you think how far boat design has come over the generations. Various hull shapes and configurations have been developed, found fashion and been superseded. Not so with the design of the canoe!

Modern materials have certainly had an impact on these primitive craft but the hull design and shape remain by and large unchanged. The hull shape is very efficient in regards to capacity, speed and ride; add an outrigger and you increase stability and capacity further still.

It's common to see old boats and canoes just slowly rotting away in back or front yards with the grass growing around them.

Old boats generally aren't worth looking at, timber stringers and transoms or sandwiched fibreglass and foam will often be badly rotted and often unseen. (Unless they're highly revered models from major builders of the 1970s to 1990s which have become popular to DIY renovate. - Ed)

Old fibreglass canoes can look quite poor, often covered in mildew and badly weathered, but it's surprising how fibreglass alone can withstand the rigors of time.

Sometimes it's worth knocking on the owner's door and making an offer. In my case, $250 was enough to have the mouldy Canadian canoe - and, as it turned out, a removable outrigger - on the roof racks and heading home.

Perhaps the quickest and best place to look for a second-hand canoe is good old eBay. The secret is to be able to see the potential in the vessel.

A good scrub with hot soapy water and light rub back, a repair kit from the local auto shop, a new gelcoat and $50 later, I had a bargain!