A Thames skiff is a traditional

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

wooden rowing boat used for the activity of

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 in ...

. These boats evolved from Thames wherries in the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edward ...

to meet a passion for river exploration and leisure outings on the water.

Construction

The Thames

skiff A skiff is any of a variety of essentially unrelated styles of small boats. Traditionally, these are coastal craft or river craft used for leisure, as a utility craft, and for fishing, and have a one-person or small crew. Sailing skiffs have deve ...

owes its origins to the clinker boat building technique, of over-lapping timber planking, that's known to have existed in the region from before the 6th century

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

Snape Snape may refer to: Places * Snape Island, Hudson Bay, Canada * Snape, North Yorkshire, a village in England * Snape, Suffolk, a marshland, a village and an arts center in England People * Andrew Snape (1675–1742), headmaster of Eton College ...

and

Sutton Hoo Sutton Hoo is the site of two early medieval cemeteries dating from the 6th to 7th centuries near the English town of Woodbridge. Archaeologists have been excavating the area since 1938, when a previously undisturbed ship burial containing a ...

ship burials. Many of the terms used for parts of the skiff are of Germanic origin – " tholes", "

thwart A thwart is a part of an undecked boat that provides seats for the crew and structural rigidity for the hull. A thwart goes from one side of the hull to the other. There might be just one thwart in a small boat, or many in a larger boat, especial ...

s", and " sax". Planks on either side of a wooden

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in B ...

are laid down following the outline of a sham (temporary pattern) placed across the keel. The planks are nailed in place and then a transverse strengthening framework of ribs is added. Oars (or blades) are held in place by wooden thole pins at the side of the boat rather than rowlocks or outriggers. The thole pins are designed to give way if too much pressure is put on them, thus protecting the boat itself from damage. The thwart, or seat, is fixed rather than sliding as in modern boats. The sax runs round the top of the boat to strengthen and protect it. Blades are made of wood with leather collars. Skiffs usually provide for one or two scullers but because they have been built to individual customer's specifications, there can be a wide variety of designs. There are skiffs with three or four rowing positions. Skiffs with more than one sculler have a seat for a

coxswain The coxswain ( , or ) is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from ''cock'', referring to the cockboat, a type of ship's boa ...

who steers the boat by ropes attached to a

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally air or water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw a ...

. Single scullers usually steer themselves, but some single skiffs allow for a cox/passenger as well. Some skiffs also provide for a sail to be used. Skiffs following the traditional Thames design are to be found in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...

, although Argentinian skiffs usually have outriggers instead of tholes.

Uses and types

Skiffs are both recreational and working boats on the Thames. They can be seen used for

swan upping Swan upping is an annual ceremony in England in which mute swans on the River Thames are rounded up, caught, ringed, and then released. History By prerogative right, the British Crown enjoys ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open wate ...

and other general purpose duties. Racing skiffs are specially built for

in competitions at regattas and long-distance marathon events between the various skiff clubs under The Skiff Racing Association rules along the Thames and also for recreational purposes such as a Thames meander. A camping skiff has an easily erectable

canvas Canvas is an extremely durable plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, shelters, as a support for oil painting and for other items for which sturdiness is required, as well as in such fashion objects as handb ...

cover and is used for outdoor recreational activity holidays, often in conjunction with other activities such as walking, swimming and fishing. The cover can be used for shelter from the sun and rain during the day and at night converts the entire craft into a floating tent. It enables the occupants to experience nature and river life up close and is featured in Jerome K. Jerome's 1889 comic novel ''

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 account by English writer Jerome K. Jerome of a tw ...

''.Jerome K. Jerome ''Three Men in a Boat'' Penguin Books, . (First published 1889)

References

External links

Thames Traditional Boat Society - Plans for skiffs and punts

Thames skiff holiday providers

The Skiff Racing Association

The Skiff Club, Teddington
{{fineboats Boat types Transport on the River Thames Rowing racing boats