What's a Speed Skiff?

[Greg Guimond]

What is this thing? Looks cool

JERSEY SPEED SKIFF 2005--fiberglass hull with cold molded mahogany decks stained purple and yellow--New destroked 327 with 2 hours total run time-only the best -MSD,magnaflo water pump, bowman oil cooler,holley DP, all braided hoses, aluminum case trans.--this is a turnkey boat.-a real beautiful skiff-never raced- The most fun you will ever have.A great running skiff with no bad habits.--comes with reliable trailer and cover.asking $12,500--no loballers or tire kickers

[CHACHI]

Greg, I don't know that much about these boats or the history, but I have seen them run.

Yes, if you are not taking corners like the one in the photo you will loose.

The ones I have seen run small blocks and have a foot throttle.

I think the originals were wood, but the new stuff is fiberglass.

I have seen them run up in Clayton NY at the antique race boat event.

They are ALWAYS running on the edge.

Ken

[woobs]

Aren't Skiffs traditionally of "clinker" (or lapstrake) hull design?

[Just Say N20]

They are about as much fun as you can have living on the edge in a boat.

They hop down the lake in a perpetual porpoise mode, such that when they are in the "hop" portion, only the lower half of the prop (traditionally an old school looking 2 blade) is in the water so the boat actually crabs sideways until the hull gets back down in the water!

Turning?!? Well, it feels like you are surely going to die the first few times.

They run SBC and to race I think they have to be naturally aspirated, running 75 - 85 mph. But there are people who have put monster power in them, and run over 100.

If I lived on an inland lake, and wanted the PERFECT fun boat, it would be one of these. I have owned 17 boats, and I will NEVER forget my first ride in a Jersey Skiff!

Here is a link to one of the "faster" ones: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LIioNasDu04

These boats are an older class, and yes the original boats were wood. Exactly what would think would happen when you mount a high power small block Chevy in a 15', flat bottom, lap strake sided boat that was designed to run less than 30 mph with a 1956 Evinrude Lark 35 hp outboard?

The record of 87.xx mph is with a Jersey Skiff that is legal to race. I believe one of the qualifications is that the engine must be naturally aspirated, which the one in the link obviously isn't. But, as a confirmed boat nut, who has been 134 in an offshore cat, 115 in a 42' Cig, 87 in a 16' outboard, and 88 in a 22 DONZI classic, my first ride in a Jersey Skiff was hands down the most awesome boat rides I have ever been on. The people whose entire response is "I want one" are the people who get it. :)

[hardcrab]

watching them run is thrilling,
riding mechanic (passenger) can be horrific,
driving one is pure nirvana - you are very much in control, unlike anything you would imagine.

[younger]

One of these may be my next boat. A pal of mine has one of these, Baron hull that he built a couple years ago. Originally ran 283 ci in race form. Now the largest engine in race form is 305 ci. These things rock. They work best with a rever not a torker of a motor. Still race in the APBA, run with driver and mechanic. The boats today run with a cage in the drivers compartment. There is a large following that participate in a vintage class, which can run a 350 with restrictor. Baron and I think Art Eingle were the largest builders of the glass hull. These need to run with the bow up and hard on the gas. I have a sbc that has been on the stand from my 16 and it would be right at home in one of these hulls. Might be my next project.

[olredalert]

----I have a buddy in Algonac that has one with a hot 350 and the boat will scare you silly (in a good way).......Bill S

[CHACHI]

One of these may be my next boat. A pal of mine has one of these, Baron hull that he built a couple years ago. Originally ran 283 ci in race form. Now the largest engine in race form is 305 ci. These things rock. They work best with a rever not a torker of a motor. Still race in the APBA, run with driver and mechanic. The boats today run with a cage in the drivers compartment. There is a large following that participate in a vintage class, which can run a 350 with restrictor. Baron and I think Art Eingle were the largest builders of the glass hull. These need to run with the bow up and hard on the gas. I have a sbc that has been on the stand from my 16 and it would be right at home in one of these hulls. Might be my next project.

Poor Loretta.

Ken

[younger]

How could I forget Bender skiffs as well! Ken the smoothest place to ride in these is in the back. Where could I stick Loret. She is a good sport.

[biggiefl]

My friend's Dad(Lindsey Pirie) used to build the Bender hulls in Barnegat Light, NJ back in the 80/90's. Almost bought one a couple of times but an inboard on Barnegat Bay is not the brightest of ideas even though that is where they orginated from. I have only seen like 2 in Fl in 15 years. Most "beginners" usually start with these or even scarier, a Racing Garvey. A Garvey makes these look tame and are much faster but cheaper I believe. Almost bought one of them as well but my bud wanted ME to drive and I wanted to be throttle. By the time we argued it out, it sold....like $4k with spare parts out the wazzoo.

PS I don't know when the last wood hulls were made..60's? They have been glass as long I have been watching them being built & raced. I believe when Bender quit, Pirie took the molds over. I will ask him the next time I see him. Crazy...with a 120hp 4cyl they would run mid 40's. Most did not have trannies either, forward or key off only. Entire beam is a full length trim tab. If you think a 16' Donzi is pretty impractical......

[gcarter]

I think the design dates from the '30's.
The bottoms are perfectly flat.
If you think competition ski boats are rough riding, they ain't nuthin' compared to these!
There'll probably be 10 to 15 of them at the Antique Boat show this weekend.
It'll be a good reason to go to the show!

[joseph m. hahnl]

Some early Sea Bright Skiffs were up to 30 feet in length and powered by WWI Liberty Aircraft engines. These were the boats used during Prohibition as Rum Runners. (http://www.ecbrcnj.com/id124.html)

[CHACHI]

biggiefl, is that the same Lindsey Pirie that has the composites business. I believe he made at one time carbon fiber motorcycle parts.


Ken

[biggiefl]

Can't be too many Lindsey Pirie's in the world ;) He lived a few blocks down from me in Harvey Cedars and I grew up with his son Eric. He did a lot of Corvette work and even made Mako shark bodies. Him and a few others were on the front of the offshore racing scene in the 70's along with skiffs and Garveys, etc. If you look through old offshore pics you will likely see their boat(s) INDIGO racing. Steve Shroderer was their mechanic and went on to be a big wig with Mercruiser. He was they guy that flew in to make your 140mph boat fetch 170, etc. They pioneered a bunch of junk on our little Island in NJ. Most just think of Aronow and Al Copeland, etc. It was these 'little" guys that made it all happen back when it was'nt.

[Damm-magnum]

Can't be too many Lindsey Pirie's in the world ;) He lived a few blocks down from me in Harvey Cedars and I grew up with his son Eric. He did a lot of Corvette work and even made Mako shark bodies. Him and a few others were on the front of the offshore racing scene in the 70's along with skiffs and Garveys, etc. If you look through old offshore pics you will likely see their boat(s) INDIGO racing. Steve Shroderer was their mechanic and went on to be a big wig with Mercruiser. He was they guy that flew in to make your 140mph boat fetch 170, etc. They pioneered a bunch of junk on our little Island in NJ. Most just think of Aronow and Al Copeland, etc. It was these 'little" guys that made it all happen back when it was'nt.

Back in the late 70s Lindsey did some glass work on my 27 Magnum Sport and then painted the top deck, hull sides and transon in Imron. He also painted our Mirage race boat..he sure did nice work.

Back then when I lived down the Jersey Shore Area, many of the people around my home town had Jersey Speed Skiffs in their garage..they would race JS in the summer and then DN ice boats in the winter.
Thank you
Jim