St. Lawrence River Skiffs
St. Lawrence River Skiffs
F RY 15 | THOMAS 16 | ANNIE 18 | BOBBY 21
The St. Lawrence River Skiff (SLRS) is a guide's boat indigenous to the Thousand Islands Region of NY, emerging on both sides of the river around Clayton and Alexandria Bay, NY in the late 1800s. Its hull form evolved and became the standard river boat of its time. Guides had to row, all day, paying clients who wanted to productively fish the River. A guide might row 20-30 miles in a single day! The boats had to be stable, easy to row, and able to take all the conditions thrown at it in a day on the river. Today, families still row their Skiffs on the River for pleasure, picnics, and fitness. The easypulling nature of the Skiff even at maximum capacity makes them perfect for bringing the family out on a cruise or to an island picnic. The flat, plank keel make them easy to beach and sit up right at the boat house. Some Skiffs could be sailed and some of the boats specifically carried a centerboard, but the Bobby does not have a centerboard and shouldn't. Bobby will excel at sailing downwind much like the Drake Rowboat. The other models could also sail downwind with a small lug or spritsail. Resist the urge to use a leeboard or centerboard. These add slot drag and complication. Row upwind; sail down. The Antique Boat Museum in Clayton houses a fleet of Skiffs and holds the plans for a half dozen Skiffs, several of which were drawn by fixed-seat rowing guru, Andrew Steever. The ABM exhibit documents the emergence of the craft and evolution from utility to pleasure boat to racing boat.
As of 2017, the Fry, Annie and Bobby-Lynn are all available as stripplanked kits. The Annie and Thomas Skiffs are available in glued-lapstrake construction, as well. Those kits will have all the plywood included for planking as well as the material for the strongback and molds as in the strip planked kits. The kits for cedar strip will include the strips if the hull timber kit is ordered
FRY SKIFF
SPECIFICATIONS
LOA 15' 3"
LWL 13' 4"
Beam 39"
Draft 3 ¾"
Depth amidships 13"
Hull weight 75 lbs
ANNIE
SPECIFICATIONS
LOA 17' 6"
LWL 15' 8"
Beam 42"
Draft 4"
Depth amidships 13"
Hull weight 115 lbs
BOBBY - LYNN
SPECIFICATIONS
LOA 20' 5"
LWL 19' 2”
Beam 42"
Depth 14"
Displacement 306 lbs
Hull weight 135 lbs
Photo 1: The new Thomas 16 was designed for a Canadian couple wanting to cartop their boat as they travelled around in retirement. They needed a volumous hull that was lightweight and sweet.
Photo 2: The Fry is a sweet solo rowboat easily cartopped and lovely for a late afternoon outing or picnic.
Photo 3: The Annie is a larger boat than the Fry. It can carry a passenger and is fast for single rowing. The hull is considered one of the finest variants in the SLRS series.
Photo 4: The Booby is symmetrical fore and aft and is a stunning boat. It can be rowed solo or double and can take a load. It is fast and powerful and oneof the most seaworthy of the series owing to its size.