Tim,

Have you considered making a "strip-built" canoe? I have bought and
read a book on strip building written by Gil Gilpatrick. He has taught
strip building to high school students for years and the boats look
wonderful. One great feature is the ability to modify the the length
and general shape of the boat to get the handling characteristics that
you want. The boat looks great AND fits your needs. Fairly cheap to
build, light-weight, and would be an excellent winter project.

Hope this helps,

Paul