Yes, that sounds right. With the weight of th Acat, that's very likely what I was doing. And the effect was to smooth out the ride, lessen bow slap/movement , allow the boat to turn slightly without being slowed down by the rudders.
Very dramatic effect on such a lite boat. It really took me by surprise when it happened the first time, and again when it repeated each time I tacked and took off on the new tack.