Several have been built with sliding seats, most notably a very good 15 by John Willoughby, that I fell out of very ungraciously many years ago. Peter Furze, serial Oughtred builder, rowed his 11'6" Acorn in company with co professional (medico) John Willoughby around Hindmarsh Island about 10 years ago, proving the point beyond doubt. they traversed locks, head and cross winds and all with considerable camping supplies and provisions aboard. I think the trip was about 28 kilometers.

Joel Weatherald built a nice one (Isola) a while back, proving that even a butcher (as he was then) can be a good Oughtred boat builder.

John had a sliding seat in his boat, 'Wet Dream'. It was interesting to observe how little that boat pumped as his weight shifted, as it does in a sliding seat, with each stroke. Peter on the other hand had a fixed seat; he still did very well. These 15' boats have been stretched to 17' by virtue of moving the stations equally; that would be even better. I have never seen one sailing. Another of our clients claims to be completing one this year, with sail. I look forward to that.

While there I got to row one of the oldest, amazingly the very one whose creaking, water dripping sounds are used by Pink Floyd in the opening to their 'Momentary Lapse of Reason' album.

A bit of effort on your part, some leather on your oars and 'winter grease' on the tholes, and you'll be set!

The design of the St Ayles Skiff was commissioned from Iain Oughtred by the Scottish Fisheries Museum at Anstruther, Fife. The basic principle of this project is that the boats to be raced should be available at as low a price as possible.

The kit design for the St Ayles has been thought through from the outset to produce a beautiful and comparatively easy boat that can be built by people with little or boat building experience. What is required is patience, and a reasonable degree of practical ability.

We do not want you to have to invest a fortune in tools, so for the most part, the tools required are those found in most keen DIYers toolbox. If you have access to a friendly joiner sympathetic to the idea of building the boat, this will help considerably.

The basic kit from Jordan Boats comprises:

• A set of plans
• The planking, bulkheads, and seat tops, CNC cut in Lloyds TypeApproved Marine Plywood
• The moulds over which the boat is built, CNC cut from WBP Plywood
• Patterns for shaping the stems

Pronounced, ‘weemz,’ the Wemyss skiff is about half the size and a bit over a third the weight of a St Ayles Skiff.

The Wemyss Skiff design was commissioned by Alec Jordan, the same person who commissioned Iain Oughtred to design the St Ayles Skiff out of a personal love of open ocean community rowing and boat building, especially from kits.
Alec tells me that right now in the UK many of the St Ayles community groups are supplementing their fleets with the Wemyss Skiffs to attract smaller groups to open water and community for training, general tness pure rowing and sailing pleasure.

Two people can easily carry them to and from the water. The boat weighs about 90kg, or a bit over 1/3 the weight of her big sister, the St Ayles Skiff. One to two rowers with or without cox or passenger is ideal.

The Wemyss Skiff is very easy to set up and go sailing, or to pack up the sailing rig and if needed, row home.
The buoyancy chambers inspire con dence, and the integral offset centreboard makes for quick conversion to sailing rig.
The rig easily packs up to stow within the length of the boat.