Skiffs are simply small boats and serves as a general term for an array of boat designs. At wood boat plans, we like our history so delving into the etymology of word, it has roots deep with in the romance languages. Skiff itself is Middle English which is derived from the word schiff, of Germanic Origin. However, before the Middle English adopted the word skiff, the word migrated through Old Italian as schifo and esquif (Old French) before it finally landed as the Middle English word "skiff". So the etymology starts with schiff (German), then Schifo (Old Italian), then esquif (Old French) and then skiff (Middle English).

When we think of a skiff, we think of a fishing boat that's going out to sea. Yes, we're probably influenced, in part, by Herman Melville's Moby Dick. The Carolina Skiff has been the most popular in recent years and that is likely due to marketing from the Carolina Skiff LLC. Of course, there's always the option to buy your boat from a manufacturer. However, for the do-it-yourselfer, there are plans on the market for the first time builder. Take a look at the fast skiff below. This hull for this boat can be built for about $400 (2010) and takes about 30 hours to construct. As you can see, it's a great looking functional skiff that can be outfitted with a 7.5 HP motor. Now the 18' Outboard Skiff takes a little longer to build (120 hours) and costs about $1,000 (2010) but it can be outfitted with many options including a center console, fishing boxes, live bait wells, built-in gas tanks, multiple light configurations and various seating arrangements. It's like anything else. How much will you use the boat? What are your needs? Whatever boat you decide to build, a good set of wooden boat plans will save you a lot of very valuable time. Take a look at just 2 of the options below. Click through to see more:

Fast Skiff 14				Outboard Skiff 18
LOA:	14'	4.25 m		LOA:	18'	5.5m
Max. Beam:	4' 6"	1.35 m		Max. Beam:	5' 6"	1.65 m
Designed Weight:	110 lbs	50 kg		Hull Weight:	405 lbs	135 kg
Max HP:	7.5 hp - Outboard			Max HP:	50 HP
Material:	Stitch & Glue			Material:	Stitch & Glue