Turning my little Auk variation has never been a problem for me, probably because it is not quite 12 feet long. But being 26 inches wide I don't lean it but just use the paddle. For a quick U turn I just sweep the paddle from the stern toward the bow. I was thinking the Great Auk was about 2 feet longer then my yak and that would make it a little harder to turn.

Here is a simple way to check to see how a fixed skeg would work on you boat. I made the biggest skeg I could use out of foam then traced this on paper for a later reference. Fasten it to the boat, hot glue, etc. Then try it out in the water and see how you like it. Then I cut 4 inches off the back and tried it again to see how it worked. Again I cut off another 4 inches and paddled once again. I liked the longest skeg the best, so I traced my paper pattern on some oak and made my permanent skeg. But doing it this way I could try out three skeg sizes or no skeg at all without messing up my boat and very little time involved.

John