A skiff is any of a variety of essentially unrelated styles of small boats, usually propelled by sails or oars. Traditionally, these are coastal craft or

river craft A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury u ...

used for work, leisure, as a utility craft, and for fishing, and have a one-person or small crew. Sailing skiffs have developed into high performance competitive classes. Many of today's skiff classes are based in Australia and New Zealand in the form of , , and skiffs. The 29er, 49er, SKUD and

Musto Skiff The Musto Skiff is a single-handed sailing skiff with a length of . It features a trapeze, asymmetrical spinnaker, wings and low weight and achieves speeds of over , which makes it one of the fastest single-handed sailing boats. History It wa ...

are all considered to have developed from the skiff concept, all of which are sailed internationally. The term skiff is also used for a racing shell called

single scull A single scull (or a scull), abbreviated as a 1x, is a racing shell designed for a single person who propels the boat with two oars, one in each hand. Racing boats (often called "shells") are long, narrow, and broadly semi-circular in cross-se ...

for competitive rowing.

Etymology

The word is related to ''ship'' and has a complicated etymology: "skiff" comes from the

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman Conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English pe ...

''skif'', which derives from the

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th

Old Italian Italian (, , or , ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family. It evolved from the colloquial Latin of the Roman Empire. Italian is the least divergent language from Latin, together with Sardinian. It is spoken by about 6 ...

''schifo'', which is itself of Germanic origin (German ''Schiff''). "Ship" comes from the Old English">German language">Germanic origin (German ''Schiff''). "Ship" comes from the Old English "scip", which has the same Germanic predecessor.

By location

United Kingdom

The term has been used for a number of styles of craft round the United Kingdom, often small river and sea going craft. They varied from double ended rowing boats to small sailing boats. The poet John Milton refers to a "night foundered skiff" in ''Paradise Lost'' as early as 1670. There are references to skiffs involved in accidents on the River Thames as early as 1812, and 1824 at Oxford. In August 1815, the poet

Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley ( ; 4 August 1792 – 8 July 1822) was an English writer who is considered one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame durin ...

was taken on an expedition by skiff from

Old Windsor Old Windsor is a village and civil parish, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It is bounded by the River Thames to the east and the Windsor Great Park to the west. Etymology The name originates from old Eng ...

Lechlade Lechlade () is a town at the edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England, south of Birmingham and west of London. It is the highest point at which the River Thames is navigable, although there is a right of navigation that continues sout ...

by Charles Clairmont and

Thomas Love Peacock Thomas Love Peacock (18 October 1785 – 23 January 1866) was an English novelist, poet, and official of the East India Company. He was a close friend of Percy Bysshe Shelley, and they influenced each other's work. Peacock wrote satirical novels ...

. He subsequently settled at Marlow, where he regularly rowed his skiff through the locks. Shelley later drowned sailing in a skiff off the coast of Italy. A skiff was also mentioned in Sir

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

's poem ''

The Lady of the Lake The Lady of the Lake (, , , , ) is a title used by multiple characters in the Matter of Britain, the body of medieval literature and mythology associated with the legend of King Arthur. As either actually fairy or fairy-like yet human enchantres ...

''. The

Thames skiff A Thames skiff is a traditional River Thames wooden rowing boat used for skiffing. These boats evolved from Thames wherry, wherries in the Victorian era to meet a passion for river exploration and leisure outings on the water. Construction The ...

became formalised as a specific design in the early part of the 19th century. It is a round-bottomed

clinker-built Clinker-built, also known as lapstrake-built, is a method of boat building in which the edges of longitudinal (lengthwise-running) hull (watercraft), hull planks overlap each other. The technique originated in Northern Europe, with the first know ...

rowing boat that is still very common on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

and other rivers in England. Rowing skiffs became very popular in Victorian Britain, and a skiff journey up the River Thames is described in ''

Three Men in a Boat ''Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)'',The Penguin edition punctuates the title differently: ''Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog!'' published in 1889, is a humorous novel by English writer Jerome K. Jerome describing ...

'' by Jerome K. Jerome. These skiffs could carry a sail and could be used for camping. Although general usage has declined, skiffs are still used for leisure and racing. During the year,

skiffing Skiffing refers to the sporting and leisure activity of rowing (or more correctly sculling) a Thames skiff. The skiff is a traditional hand built clinker-built wooden craft of a design which has been seen on the River Thames and other waterways i ...

regattas are held in various riverside towns in England, the major event being the

Skiff Championships Regatta The Skiff Championships Regatta is the premier skiff racing regatta on the River Thames in England. It is held annually at Henley on the Sunday of August Bank Holiday weekend. Events and course The regatta is run under the rules of the Ski ...

at Henley. Akin to the skiff is the

yoal The yoal, often referred to as the ness yoal, is a clinker-built craft used traditionally in Shetland, Scotland. It is designed primarily for rowing, but also handles well under its traditional square sail when running before the wind or on a broa ...

yole A yole is a clinker-built boat that was used for fishing particularly in the north of Scotland. The best known of these is the Orkney Yole. They were rigged for sail or used as rowing boats. The yole is a Nordic design and closely related in shape ...

, which is a clinker-built boat used for fishing in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. The boat itself is a version of the Norwegian

Oselvar The Oselvar or Oselver is a small wooden rowing boat traditionally built and used along the west coast of Norway. The Oselvar is a Clinker (boat building), clinker built boat with thin, very wide planks. Almost all parts of an Oselvar are made o ...

which is similar to a skiff in appearance, while the word is cognate with "

yawl A yawl is a type of boat. The term has several meanings. It can apply to the rig (or sailplan), to the hull type or to the use which the vessel is put. As a rig, a yawl is a two masted, fore and aft rigged sailing vessel with the mizzen mast ...

". The French ''

'' is a leisure craft similar to the Thames Skiff and is translated as "skiff", while the French ''

skiff A skiff is any of a variety of essentially unrelated styles of small boats, usually propelled by sails or oars. Traditionally, these are coastal craft or river craft used for work, leisure, as a utility craft, and for fishing, and have a one-pers ...

'' translates to a

. In Dutch and German, "Skiff" also means a single scull, while Czech '' skif'' refers to sculling boats in general. Regattas are also held across Northern Ireland, with one of the largest being held in

Portadown Portadown ( ) is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is based on the River Bann in the north of the county, about southwest of Belfast. It is in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area and had a population ...

, but smaller events take place throughout the year across County Down.

Americas

In American usage, the term is used for small sea-going fishing boats. It is referred to historically in literature in ''

Moby-Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 Epic (genre), epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler ...

'' by

Herman Melville Herman Melville (Name change, born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance (literature), American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works ar ...

and ''

The Old Man and the Sea ''The Old Man and the Sea'' is a 1952 novella by the American author Ernest Hemingway. Written between December 1950 and February 1951, it was the last major fictional work Hemingway published during his lifetime. It tells the story of Santiag ...

'' by

Ernest Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...

. Hardcover: , paperback: Boats powered by

sail A sail is a tensile structure, which is made from fabric or other membrane materials, that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may b ...

s or by oars can be referred to as skiffs. One usage of the word refers to a typically small flat-bottomed open boat with a pointed bow and a flat

stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. O ...

originally developed as an inexpensive and easy-to-build boat for use by inshore

fishermen A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers. Fishermen may be professional or recr ...

. Originally designed to be powered by rowing, their form has evolved to be powered by

outboard motor An outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom. They are the most common motorised method ...

s. The design is still in common use today for both work and pleasure craft. They can be made of wood or other materials. A similar style of craft in Central America and Mexico is generally called a panga.

By use

Piracy and smuggling

Combined Task Force 151 - 090211-N-1082Z-111

The term skiff has been applied to motorized boats of small size and construction used as sea-going vessels for

piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

drug smuggling The illegal drug trade, drug trafficking, or narcotrafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types ...

Racing

The skiff with a sail has developed into specific sailing boats bearing the name "skiff". In Sydney, the term was used for a number of racing classes (sizes from 6 ft to 23 ft have existed). These were originally heavily crewed and canvassed boats that were relatively short for the canvas and crew carried and were developed from working boats of the time. This style of boat is still active in the form of Historical 10 foot and 18 foot classes. The skiff classes developed to become much lighter and faster with relatively smaller (but still very large by any other standards) rigs and smaller crews.

12ft Skiff The 12 ft Skiff is a development dinghy class dating back to the early 20th century. It is sailed in Australia and New Zealand. It is in length, hence the name, and is a two-man boat. Both the crew and the helm are able to use the trapeze ...

, 13 ft Skiff, 16ft Skiff, and

18ft Skiff The 18 ft Skiff is considered the fastest class of sailing skiffs. The class has a long history beginning with races on Sydney Harbour, Australia in 1892 and later in New Zealand. The boat has changed significantly since the early days, brin ...

classes are raced in that form. With two crew on the 12 and 13 footer and three on the 16 and 18 these are still heavily crewed boats for their size. Modern developments began with the introduction of carbon fibre reinforced composite hulls, allowing for a significant reduction in weight, and an increase in rigidity. Following this, the use of carbon in masts and rigging allowed for more sail area, and better gust response. Moulded sails are being tested in both 12 ft and 16 ft skiffs, with most modern Australian 18 ft Skiffs utilising the new technology. Because the modern 18s have such a high profile, the term skiff is widely used internationally to refer to other high-performance

sailing dinghy Dinghy sailing is the activity of sailing small boats - usually for fun, learning necessary sailing skills (often also within family), and competition. RYA lists Five essentials of sailing dinghies as: * The sails * The hydrofoil, foils (i.e. t ...

classes, mostly featuring

asymmetrical spinnaker An asymmetrical spinnaker is a sail used when sailing between about 90 and 165 degrees from the angle of the wind. Also known as an "asym", "aspin", "A-sail", or gennaker, it can be described as a cross between a genoa (jib) and a spinnaker. It is ...

and

trapeze A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes, metal straps, or chains, from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or ...

which have been strongly influenced by modern skiffs. Examples include: Cherub Skiff, International 14, 29er, and 49er. These boats tend to be less heavily crewed in relation to their length than the traditional Australian Skiff Classes. The term is even used for some single-handed boats like the

which are far removed from the heavily crewed original boats. The

SKUD 18 The SKUD 18 is a class of racing sailing boat. It is a lead-assisted skiff with a tube-launched asymmetrical and a modern high performance stayed rig. The boat was created for trials held by the International Association for Disabled Sailing w ...

is a two-person

keelboat A keelboat is a riverine cargo-capable working boat, or a small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yacht. The boats in the first category have shallow structural keels, and are nearly flat-bottomed and often used leeboards if forced in open w ...

which claims strong influence from skiff development.SKUD 18
This made its debut in the 2008 Paralympic Games. In the International

Moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (s ...

class the term skiff is used to distinguish designs that have an essentially vertical bow from

scow A scow is a smaller type of barge. Some scows are rigged as sailboat, sailing scows. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, scows carried cargo in coastal waters and inland waterways, having an advantage for navigating shallow water or small ha ...

designs, which have a broadly horizontal bow.

References

External links

{{gutenberg, no=308, name=Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
World of Boat (EISCA) Collection ~ Westray Skiff
Boat types