: . . . My question is
: whether the problem is my lack of paddling knowledge or is something
: wrong???!!!!! I realize that this boat is much different from the
: Skimalong which is all I have for comparison. I was under the impression
: that a longer boat would track straight and would require more effort to
: turn than this one demonstrates. It seems to want to turn on its own
: despite my best efforts to get it to track straight. I should mention that
: this boat was paddled in a lake where there was little current if any. Any
: comments or suggestions are appreciated.

I'm interested in knowing how much weight the boat was carrying. Add up your own weight plus gear and ballast (if any).

My thinking is that the boat might be too bouyant for the load you are carrying, and that it might be floating above the designed waterline. Or, your weight may not be in the right place.

You might try changing the trim of the boat with some ballast, or by moving the seat, or both, and see if the tracking or handling improves.

hope this helps

PGJ