In short, no. So far my posts have focussed on kayaking in the sea, which I love and try to do as much as I can. My other great love, is paddling a 16ft canadian canoe on a river.
Canadian canoes have been given a lot of nicknames: bathtub, fridge, lorry...you get the picture. They're big and to daunting to novice paddler, causing most to shy away completely from this wonderful craft. I can mention the problems quickly so we can get to the good part: they are slow, difficult to manoeuvre and very very heavy. Don't let that put you off though, because Canadian canoes have plenty of space which means you can go camping without too much compromise. Slow trips on Canadian canoes allow you to really appreciate the natural beauty around you and smell the roses, as it were.
Generally speaking, canoes have two or three seats so you can cover decent distance without too much fatigue. Some of us like to go solo on a canoe, to be able to go really slow, take lots of photos and carry even more stuff! Its not the easiest thing to do and can be physically challenging but its a wonderful experience (and the photos look great). Paddling alone can be dangerous so its important to have equally crazy friends who will go out with you, also solo in a canoe.
After a short break from paddling, I ventured out with some friends from my club on the Grand Union Canal. This is the longest canal in the UK: 137 miles stretching from London to Birmingham. We did a short paddle starting in West London and I decided it was a good opportunity to do some solo canoeing. The weather was perfect and with no wind to make life harder, we paddled for a few hours exploring before returning home.
How to get started? Well, you could wander over to your local canoe hire and get one out with your mates to give it a go. My recommendation would be to try out your local canoe/kayak club and see if they have Canadian canoes. Chances are that if they have one, there will be at least one person who can show you how its done. Try not to be put off if the wind picks up and you lose control of the canoe ;).