Mossback, sorry for the long delay in getting back to you.

Thanks for the nice comments on my website.  I enjoy taking the time with those details.

The Independence has 2.5" of rocker in both ends so it's pretty maneuverable.  I found that paddling it level involved a lot of strong correction strokes.  Leaning it 10-20 degrees made it more sensitive to correction strokes, thus easier to maneuver.  This is all well and good in moving water and flatwater with minimal wind.

When the wind picks up it's hard to control unless the wind is either directly ahead or astern.  I can't attach a picture of me paddling my Indy in a quartering tailwind but you can see it in the bottom half of this page:   (You need to Login or Register.

I'm doing a strong sweep stroke on the left side, but the wake indicates the boat is slewing to the right.  And that's with my main pack behind me.  I just could not get the stern to stick deep enough to resist the yawing force of the wind.

Earlier in this trip, I was in a quartering headwind and crosswind, having the devil of a time controlling the boat.  So I lashed my two paddles together with a couple of velcro straps and made a short double paddle.  It's the only time I've done that and it worked great.  So your idea of doing it makes a lot of sense.

I sold the Indy two years ago.  It took two boats to replace it, a Blackhawk Ariel for rivers and a Hemlock Peregrine for tripping and other flatwater.