Turning radius question... Seems much faster to the left...

Picked up my first Hobie today at 11am. Brand spanken new PA 14, and what a beautiful boat she is. Anyway I had her setup to go in about an hour. Just in time for a storm front to move in. Got her in the water with winds gusting to 27mph. Wanted to see how she would fair. All I have to say is...WOW...what a stable boat. I could not believe I was able to make headway directly into the wind. I would have been going backwards in my Jackson...hell, I would have been swamped by the white caps. Don't get me wrong, I was not flying into the wind, but made very good steady progress. Anyway, got into some semi sheltered water and made a few casts, and decided to test out the how maneuverable she was. First note, as much as I have read and watched video's, I still, right after putting it into the water, forgot to deploy the rudder. No rudder is like pedaling a cow. Once I got my head out of my a$$ I started to have some fun. Anyway, the boat seem very noticeably to turn MUCH quicker and easier to the left, than the right. I know that prop boats favor a side depending on the directional torq of the prop. I would not thing the same of the Mirage Drive. Is this common? Or did I screw something up? Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937

I wonder if you had the tracking skeg deployed when you were experimenting with the handling.

Another possibility is the wind was off your right side that would make the PA turn quicker to the left.

I have a 2013 PA-14 and the "larger rudder" installed.....I see no difference that favors one side or the other.
One thing you can also do is use "short-quick-rapid-pedal strokes" if your speed is very slow or from a dead stop to make the hull "answer the rudder position".

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

Thanks for the reply. Spent the day decking it out and doing maintenance on the trailer. Supposed to be cold and wet tomorrow, so I am going to head to a nice warm power plant lake. Hoping to see what is up. I did notice today when I had the boat up on saw horses that when I retract the skeg (or rudder) I actually had to pull the handle much further back than I thought. Same for the rudder. I am thinking that I might not have had it retracted fully...or at all...and with the wind and waves... Well that is the fun of learning a new boat!

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STLKayak
2020 Pro Angler 14 360
St. Louis, Missouri
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005695487937