I must reluctantly agree with Shawn. Reluctantly because I had the same reaction to my Guillemot, and put a fixed skeg on it 4 years ago. That said, Shawn is right on the money about paddling skills. Sure, some boats track harder than others, and the G is pretty loose. But there are lots of conditions where that's an advantage. Like on big water with confused waves.

In addition to Shawn's advice on paddle technique, another key adjustment is to pull hard on the first part of the stroke rather than the follow-through. This works well with strong torso rotation, which tends to limit the length of the arc naturally. At least for those of us who don't rotate as well as they did 50 years ago. Early poower tends to straighten out your course, while late power tends to bounce you around. Don't try to get the last little bit of oomph out of each stroke, it's counterproductive. Try these tips before taking power tools to the boat, and see if they don't help.

: I think the S&G has a bit more of a defined keel, and a lot more keel at the
: aft end, which really influences your tracking.

: If you start to turn, the Guillemot will "break free" and skid a
: really sharp turn. I think this is a Good Thing...evidently you find it
: seriously distracting. That's just the way the boat paddles. If you really
: don't like it, there have been some good posts about adding a fixed keel
: skeg to improve tracking.

: It's the boat and your paddling skills. Changing trim will have some effect,
: but not really as noticeable...especially if it's not windy anyway.

: Keep your paddle strokes close to the boat. Stroke parallel to the boat's
: centerline. Don't let your blade stray out away from the side of the boat.
: Remove the paddle from the water at your hip--paddling back behind your
: hip can be inefficient, and it also is a sure way to start your boat into
: a turn.

: I haven't needed the skeg. It's less difficult to go in a straight line with
: one, but paddling without one will make you a better paddler. Period.

: Good luck, and if you have any more questions, reply or email me.

: Shawn