Pla:

Somebody did not mount the yoke properly. It has to be at the balance point of the canoe which is not necessarily the center. I assume it was bow heavy, a brutal chore on long portages. The MNII should be considerably faster and have better glide than nearly any aluminum canoe (the only al boat that might come close would be an 18.5 Beaver, a rare bird). It is an asymmetrical boat and is best paddled solo just aft of center- but it's length and wind catching ability makes this impractical at best. I agree with ST's suggestion of a SR 17 - won't be as quick but much more versatile in regards to number of paddlers, a stable, strong canoe. The MNII was originally designed as a downriver racing canoe (sold for years as the WhitewaterII), as a tripper it sacrifices some stability for speed.