Hey folks, first time poster and new paddler, would appreciate your
help:

Bought a used Old Town Penobscot 16. Sometime in the boat's storied
past, a rip on the side was repaired. The damage was a broken
gunwhale on the left side about halfway between the midpoint and the
bow and a rip in the royalex below the broken gunwhale. The repair
was epoxy (i presume) for the rip and a steel plate joining the broken
gunwhale.

It looks like the bow seat may have been moved up. The canoe is
porportioned (approx) as follows:

stern -- 38" -- stern seat -- 38" -- thwart -- 36" -- carry
yoke -- 18" -- bow seat -- 68" -- bow

So if there are sixten feet of canoe, the stern seat is at 1 (or 7
feet from midpoint of canoe), and the bow seat is at 10 (or 2 feet
from midpoint of canoe). The bow seat doesn't "feel" right, in that
there is not much lateral room for my feet.

It appears that the bow seat has been moved forward 8.5" or so (the
same distance as the spread of the seat pillars). I conclude this
because there are screwholes that have nothing attached behind the bow
seat.

The previous owner told me that he installed the carry yoke himself
(and the carry yoke is not at canoe mid-point).

My questions a

1) Aren't carrying yokes supposed to be installed at the midpoint?

2) Are there guidelines for position of seats for proper weight
distribution? I weigh 190#, and will be paddling with partners
ranging from 105lbs to 185lbs, with cargo loads of up to 150lbs in the
middle on touring trips.

Thanks much for your help!