> My G has been seaworthy for 2 weeks now, and I've had it out in high wind,
> variable wind and no wind at all. It weathercocks in any puff of breeze.
> It also has some interesting turning habits. It seems to rotate around a
> point about 4 feet behind the bow, and about 20 feet abeam the boat. Once
> the turn begins, it feels like the bow tracks but the stern
> "skids". It feels like a car oversteering, with the radius of
> the turn decreasing and the back end all hung out. It doesn't seem to
> matter much whether it's a flat turn or a carved one. Is this common? It
> seems like this could be a real problem in following seas or when surfing.
> It's hard to carry any speed when every second or third stoke has to be a
> sweep. Intuition says it needs a skeg, but I'd like to hear from other G
> paddlers before chopping holes in the hull. TIA, Pete.

Pete,

Your intuition may be correct. For what ever reason, it sounds like your boat may benefit from some submerged "Tail feathers," which will move the center of lateral resistance further aft. This should help reduce the tendancy to "weather cock," (I assume you are describing the tendancy for the bow to turn INTO the cross-wind). It will also make the boat harder to turn, and less maneuverable. Just like an aircraft, the more directionally stable you make your boat, the less maneuverable it becomes.

With the rudder up, my Necky Narpa has a very strong tendency to weather vane, but the minute you drop the rudder this tendency disappears - even if you just keep the rudder centered!

May I suggest installing a temporary skeg with maybe some hot glue, or Quick Cure epoxy, then trying out the boat before you do major surgery? I would recommend hot gluing, let's say, a small skeg or fin made from 1/8" ply as far aft as you can. Make sure it's absolutely aligned with the centerline. Then try the boat out! That should tell you if a skeg will help.

By the way, a rudder or skeg may not help in surfing conditions, it may even hurt in a braoching situation.