Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. It’s fun even if I’m not yet able to handle it well. It’s training me. (Don’t think it’s the hull since it turns in both directions.)
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Sound like the lean turns into an edge. Once you get accustomed to balancing in it, you’ll go like an arrow.
Agree with kayakhank
I can balance in it fine, I just can’t keep it going straight 
. This thing edges super easily since it sits very low in the water. But edging doesn’t have the same effect as it does in my sea kayak. I just need to get used to it and… become a more skilled paddler!
Since edging relies on greater width at the gunwales, the 17 inches probably changes the equation. You’ll get the hang of it.
My 18’ SOF felt really hard to control when I first got it (though it’s 1.5" inches wider than yours) but by now it feels like an extension of my body. I turn it using a long sweep stroke with an extended GP. Tracking is less of an issue because mine has a subtle skeg bump built into the stern keel. I do know SOF users who have built small rubber or wooden skeg fins and fastened them to the stern to improve straight line tracking.
Since you can’t move your seating position in that ocean cockpit, you might also try sinking the stern a bit to lengthen the rear waterline – try filling a couple of large water bottles and placing them in a dry bag stuffed with trash bags (to keep them from rolling around) and shove it way into the stern behind your aft flotation bag. Paddling with a higher cadence and less force per stroke also helps with tracking, I find.
The forums on the qajaqUSA.org site can be a great source of knowledge about use of and modifications to trad SOFs. Since you were at DelMarVa you would have had to pay for a year’s membership in QajaqUSA as part of registration (if you were not already a member) so that does give you access to log in to participate in the forums.
Thanks! Yes, I’m a member!
Bought a second Impex Force 4 a few weeks ago. It is Carbon Kevlar and weighs ~ 10lbs less than the other one. It had been the expedition kayak for a local 5 Star Paddler. It has been paddled and abused over many trips. With some elbow grease and hard work; by my Father, she is ready to go again.
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How did he get the deck so blue? Epoxy? I have a faded red canoe I’d like to bring some color to.
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Lots of sanding, then air gun painted with Total Boat - Marine Paint. This blue was the closest stock color they had.
Thanks
A good winter project.
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New Boat Day!
Picked up my newsed Impex Currituck on Thursday and yesterday morning was gray with knee-high (sometimes more!) waves, a nice day to go try it out…
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Well dang it wouldn’t upload my pictures.
Seriously, you rant about that kind of put-in, and then you post pic of you using one for your precious boat
I don’t understand those and I have never seen one. Is this for heavy boats or why do people use them?
Here’s some of mine…sold the perception and old Vapor a few months ago. Tarpon 160, Vector 14, Malibu Two XL, Kingfish, Tarpon 100, Flow 105 SUP, Snark sailboat, Vapor 10.
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That’s a lineup! What’s the second-to-the-back one? It looks very purpose-built but I can’t reverse engineer the design brief.