I purchased the Old Town Guide 147 at Dunhams Sports for recreational use and fishing on local lakes in PA. I chose this canoe, over a kayak, because my girlfriend at the time wanted to go fishing with me, so I needed a two seater. The price point was fair, ~$500, and the construction was excellent. We ran aground on the rocky shores of the Quemahoning reservoir with hardly a scratch to show for it. The carrying handles, seats, and the yolk were very sturdy and securely fastened to the rest of the canoe. One person In the water, this canoes is very stable and easy to enter and exit without going for an inadvertent swim. One of the few issues we had were the hard plastic seats, which wore out ones rump during a long day of paddling or fishing. This issue, however, could be easily remedied with replacement seats or a folded towel. The seat backs are kind of adjustable, with straps pulled or loosened to adjust the angle, but its kind of hard to get the angle just right. Other than the minor issues the Old Town Guide 147 is a perfect canoe for the casual paddler looking for a getaway on a local lake or lazy river.
