> Would a 38lb boat made to the highest degree of perfection be better than
> a 75 lb grumman canoe?

Yes.

I can leave this as a short answer, or if you want I could provide a very long list of reasons.

> Give me the canoe and the occasional companionship
> of folks that can be free of their internal demons for at least the length
> of the trip.

If you truly want to free your companions of demons put them in a decent boat. A 75 pound canoe is fine, provided it is one that doesn't leak around the multitude of rivets, nor, when the sun shines brightly, get as hot as those demons' homes.

Has anyone mentioned the nasty word ``portage`` recently? That is about the only time the weight of the boat seems to matter. If weight was not an issue, then your question becomes: ``is a good boat better than a fair one``.

Just my opinion,

Paul G. Jacobson