Word reached us that something special was coming down the
ways at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port
Hadlock, Washington. Turns out they were launching one of instructor
Ray Speck’s sweet looking Sid Skiffs—this one a
16-foot version.
Ever the professional small-boat journalists, we dropped what
we were doing and raced to the scene—just in time to sip
champagne with the new owners, Gerald and Margaret Bowles, at
the ceremonial launching. Always careful to maintain our balance,
we stopped drinking, voluntarily, after the second glass of
bubbly.
Visually, the Sid Skiff is intoxicating enough. Western Red
Cedar planks are fastened to steam-bent oak frames with copper
rivets. Stem, transom, rails, knees, breast hook, and oarlock
pads are
Sapele (a type of African Mahogany). Spars, thwarts, inwale,
thwart risers and floor board margins are Sitka Spruce. All
these different hues and grains are slathered with the boat
school’s favorite “boat sauce”—a proprietary
mixture of oil, varnish and pine tar.
It’s a design with an enigmatic history. Years ago while
living on a houseboat in Sausalito, California, Speck would
watch Harbormaster, Sid Foster, row a capable 12' 5" lapstrake
skiff called Jayne up and down Richardson Bay. Speck was so
impressed with Jayne that he borrowed the 100-year-old workboat
to use as a template. Soon Speck was offering a 13-foot version
he called Sid Skiff. Only later did he discover the boat probably
originated in the Puget Sound area, when he came across a faded
black and white photo of her unmistakable lines floating amongst
the yachts at Seattle’s Lake Union. Since the original
13-footer, Speck has skillfully adapted the design to expanded
versions all the way to 18 feet.
The sixteen footer offers two rowing stations and moves well
under oar power—something her pre-outboard working boat
heritage would have demanded. Owners have also used 1-horse
outboards successfully. Her fine entry should allow her to slice
through chop like a whitehall or wherry, but the Sid’s
wider transom and fuller hull sections add initial stability.
As a result she’s able to stand up to her 90 square-feet
of sail quite well.
Somewhere in the fog of pipe smoke and fanfare surrounding the
maiden voyage, the new owners offered us the keys to the new
ride. Sailing with expert sailmaker and instructor Sean Rankins,
we ran her through her paces—sailing on all points. The
Skiff felt trim, fast and weatherly—pointing higher than
we’d anticipated. The Sid’s sprit rig—no boom
to contend with—and noticeably forward mast placement,
make her more comfortable for crew than some similar designs.
At 175 pounds, the versatile 16-foot Sid makes an intriguing
raid boat choice. With her shallow rudder and kickup 50-pound
centerboard she draws only nine inches. The 18-foot version
would be all the more capable as a camp cruiser.
If you’re interested in building your own Sid Skiff,
designer Ray Speck offers both study plans and complete plans
for the 13-footer, and an 11" x 19" addendum sheet
with details for building the 16 footer. The homebuilder should
be prepared to steam bend frames—which Speck says will
take five or six hours with an assistant. The other option would
be to laminate frames, which could take five or six days.
If you’d like to commission a Sid Skiff, in either size,
the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding would be happy to
accommodate you. At $13,250 for the 16, they aren’t inexpensive,
but then the final product is likely to become a family heirloom.
And how often do you get a chance to sail your new boat with
her designer and sailmaker?
Study Plans $10
Full Plans $100. Includes 5 sheets (30” x 36") for
the 13-foot version, and an 11" x 19" sheet that covers
the information to build the 16-foot version. Shipping is included.
Ray Speck
228 37th St.
Port Townsend, WA 98368
E-mail: speckboats@hotmail.com
www.nwboatschool.org or (360) 385-4948
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