: I am not an expert but I do have the experience of having built a
: boat that weathercocked badly because I located the seat too far
: forward, leaving the stern underemployed...it kept coming around
: to ask the bow for a job. I moved the seat back a matter of
: inches and now the boat is very neutral in the wind whether it
: is moving or not. I don't need a skeg at all now, but if I am
: carrying stuff, I always try to balance the load. I think some
: boats are designed to weathercock so that you can use the skeg
: to neutralize the tendency...

Approaching seals from downwind is critical to the success of the hunt. If your boat does not need a lot of corrections heading upwind, you will be stealthier.