Chuck,

What other kayaks have you paddled? When I have gotten in Guillemots in the past, I have had a devil of a time getting them to go straight. The Guillemot paddlers have no problems with it, but don't like my strong tracking Arctic Tern. I am finding that I am wanting easier turning kayaks, the more I paddle, but feel my stroke would need a lot of work, before I paddled straight in a Guillemot. This is not meant to bash the Guillemot, it is a loose tracking kayak, and that is a very good thing for some people. I'm thinking for me I'd like something looser than what I've got, but not quite to the extreme that the Guillemot is. My suggestion is to paddle it for a while, your stroke should soon be compensating for the looseness of the kayak. I wish that I would have had a Guillemot when I was playing in the currents of Deception Pass, but like Artic Tern for crossing Puget Sound.

Mike

: True, technique is a key component in handling but this is my 4th boat in 8
: years of paddling! (3rd wooden boat) I'm fairly confident my stroke is not
: at fault.