Skiff

A skiff is a small boat. There are a number of different craft which are called skiffs. Traditionally these are coastal or river craft used for leisure or fishing and have a one-person or small crew. Sailing skiffs have developed into high performance competitive classes.

Etymology

The word is related to ship and has a complicated etymology: "skiff" comes from the Middle English skif, which derives from the Old French esquif, which in turn derives from the Old Italian schifo, which is itself of Germanic origin (German Schiff). "Ship" comes from the Old English "scip", which has the same Germanic predecessor. An even older root may be found in the Greek "σκάφος" (vessel).

Traditional boats—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.There are references to skiffs on the River Thames (as a result of accidents) as early as 1812 and 1824 at Oxford. In August 1815, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley was taken on an expedition by skiff from Old Windsor to Lechlade by Charles Clairmont and Thomas Love Peacock. 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. It was also used in The Lady of the Lake by Sir Walter Scott.

Skiff (disambiguation)

Skiff may refer to

See also

Skiff (sailing)

A Skiff in a sailing context is a high performance competitive sailing craft.

There are a number of different craft which are called skiffs but they are generally small coastal or river boats with a one-person or small crew. Skiffs were originally powered by oars or sails, and sailing skiffs have developed into high performance competitive classes.

In Sydney, Australia and in New Zealand the term is 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, 16ft Skiff and 18ft Skiff classes are raced in that form. With two crew on the 12 footer and three on the 16 and 18 these are still heavily crewed boats for their size.