by David D. Beach
LOA 16 ft., beam about 6 ft.
What single design is right for Dad to use for fishing, Sis to use for her wafer skiing. big Brother for racing? It is the popular 16-footer Speed Skiff
The Speed Skiff shown here is the answer to the questions of what single design is suitable for Dad to use for fishing, for Sis to use for her water skiing and for the boy in the family to race at the local regattas. When the problem is complicated by wanting a good familystyle runabout, too, the Speed Skiff is certainly the boat that meets all requirements. Before discussing the construction of the craft, it seems appropriate to give some information about the development of the type and to explain the reasons for its popularity. The Speed Skiff evolved, over many years, along the Jersey coast where sea-keeping abilities and speed have always been prized characteristics in any craft. Here, under the eyes of critical boatbuilders and fishermen, the present form has developed. They were family boats first and raceboats second, but the builders never lost sight of the fishing craft origin of the type. Freeboard, length and beam were specified, as was the fact that decks should support two people. These skiffs were not to degenerate, the officials decided, into cut-down racing craft, and they have not. The Outboard Profile shows a plain lap-strake boat with a raked bow and transom. A middle deck separates the forward cockpit from the aft cockpit; the boat is steered from the aft cockpit. The Arrangement shows a spacious forward cockpit, extending to the stem and a wide seat across the boat in each cockpit. The aft cockpit is dominated by the vertical steering column which is peculiar to this type of boat. As the Construction Plan shows, this column contains a rack and pinion steerer control in its base, to provide positive steering with no backlash or cable problems. The space behind the rear seat is occupied by a large cylindrical fuel tank, above which is a high-sided shelf, just right for lunch or tackle boxes, or for coiling the ski-tow lines. As, can be readily seen, the boat is without frills, and its simplified arrangement lends itself with no trouble to all the diverse uses to which such & craft may be put.
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