I don't have that boat, or indeed much experience of Canadian style canoes, but I suspect that it may seem a bit twitchy but would actually be very, very stable once you get used to the feel of it. As for sticking a sandbag or bean bag inside-sure! The epoxy coat is unbelievably tough and resilient. You might scuff up the top varnish layer a bit but these boats are made to be used and a fresh coat each season is no hardship.
Post a pic, it would be nice to see how it looks
Cheers
Bruce
]]>