A baby St Ayles Skiff

Alec Jordan, originator of the Scottish Coastal Rowing project, has created a little sister for the St Ayles Skiff that is proving a roaring hit round the world.
Designed by Iain Oughtred, the Wemyss Skiff is a single or pair sculling boat, that can be rowed with or without a cox. It should be a valuable addition to any coastal rowing club where members want to broaden their oarsmanship skills or simply get out when they can't get a crew together for the big boat.
A very interesting aspect of the boat is its complete adjustability. The stretchers (1) can be moved, of course, but so can the thwarts (2), which rest on flotation tanks running down the sides of the boat. And the swivels (3) can be moved too, so rowers at both ends of the height spectrum can tune their position to get the best possible action.
Alec writes:

Just thought I would let you know that there is a smaller skiff in build here. I'm meant to be taking the prototype up to Ullapool next weekend, but it is touch-and-go as to whether I will have her finished in time. I had intended launching on Wednesday, but I think it is probably going to be next Saturday morning in Ullapool!
It is called the Wemyss Skiff because I live in East Wemyss, and it was hearing about the coal miners' regattas here in times gone by that planted the seed for the St Ayles project. Length is 16'7", beam 4'9". Disp 610lbs.
Iain Oughtred has made some changes to the hull form, and I am wanting to make mods to the planking - giving her a 9mm garboard and some changes to the buoyancy arrangements. The kit will need to be completely re-designed!
The idea is that she can be used as a single, a coxless double, or coxed double for youngsters.
She will be in Watercraft's Grand Designs in the next issue - maybe on the water, maybe not...

As you can see, Alec got her into the water at Ullapool last weekend where Chris Perkins took these pics (more are at the Ullapool Coastal Rowing Club site). Chris reports that the Wemyss Skiff is lovely and quick despite not being quite finished - the buoyancy tanks are not fitted yet and the stretchers are still missing.

It should make another great rowing boat kit.

Notes for non-pedants:

(1) Footrests

(2) Seats

(3) Rowlocks

Scottish Coastal Rowing

The Scottish Coastal Rowing Project aims to promote traditional fixed seat rowing north of the Tweed, where apparently it has rather languished in comparison with the huge popularity of such boats as the Cornish Pilot Gig, the Celtic Longboat and the Thames Waterman Cutters and the like.
So the aim is to produce a standard design of pulling boat that will encourage competition, and can be constructed by groups or communities, at reasonable cost and involving achievable woodworking skills. The design is a corker, a double-ender designed by Iain Oughtred but based on a model of a Fair Isle Skiff in the Scottish Fisheries Museum at Anstruther, one of the backers of the project.
The boat will be called the St Ayles Skiff, after the building in which the museum is housed. It is 23ft long by 5ft 7in beam, which is rather short by Pilot Gig standards but should be very seaworthy. There will be four rowers and a cox.
What makes the project different and interesting is that the boat will be available in kit form from Alec Jordan, and schools, youth clubs, villages, sports clubs and even pubs will be encouraged to build their boats themselves. This should build community spirit like little else. The kit will cost about £1,350 and the total cost including epoxy etc will be about £3,000, a relatively affordable sum.
The first boat will be built at the Fisheries Museum this winter. It is to be hoped that a fleet will come together fairly quickly if the class is to become established.