The day after I got back I went out for a quiet paddle. The boat seemed to be moving well so I continued across the entrance of Island Bay and carried on up the west coast of the North Shore until I got to Beach Haven point. I then made a bold move across the harbour to the boat ramp used to beach Sunderland and Catalina flying boats at the old Hobsonville airfield. I then tried to cross diagonally back over before hugging the coast again for the last couple of bays, but the boat was catching so much wind I ended up straight-lining the route to the home beach.
I think I'd like to fit a rudder to help steer the boat while I paddle a steady rhythm. Instead, I was making 3-4 strokes on one side for each stroke on the other to compensate for the wind. Towards the end of the trip the sea got quite choppy and a bit of water was coming in, so that spray deck is also looking quite essential. I've now dismantled part of the trolley. It needs the bunks to be properly aligned with the angles of the hull, and in future I'll secure it to the kayak with some nylon cam-lock straps instead of bungee cords.
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