: Once again thanks for all the help getting My shearwater merganser
: 17w finished a few months ago.

: I CANT STAY IN THE COCKPIT!!!

: "John"

I too built a Merganser 17W and love it. It tracks well but steers easily, and takes very little effort to paddle. Eric used a photo of my boat as an example of hybrid building in his new catalog.
My suggestion is you should stop trying to kayak while inverted. You might also try carving a foam seat. I find that mine is not only more comfortable but also gives me more control of the boat. You can see pictures of mine at the end of my Merganser page at http://twofootartist.com/merganser-construction-notes/ I use an IR backband mounted fairly high on the coaming and Newfound hip pads. -Wes