I've done a lot of canoe wild camping,
My advice to you would be this,
If you can swim it's an obvious advantage,
However, a buoyancy aid would keep you afloat if you capseze,
It's always better to go out in a group or with another person so help is at hand,
Kayaks have less load carrying space than a canoe,
I love canoes, they carry all your kit easily, but there's a learning curve like most things,
I would suggest that you do a banoe/kayak course
That way you can see what you like whilst under supervision for safety
Rivers especially can be dangerous, there's hidden dangers in the water you need to be aware of
Please don't just go out on any water, river, or lake without someone with experience,
Try looking on songofthepaddle canoe forum, you will learn a lot on there, they have meets, and trip reports, you might see some of mine
My username is beefy on there also,
The first time I went out in a canoe it was windy and I got blown around in a circle and couldn't control my canoe
But when you master the art of paddling one it is a rewarding experience
Have fun
ps, if you lift one end of a canoe onto your roof rack you can then slide the canoe on relatively easy, without having to lift the full weight of it