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2006-04-25T03:54:00Z

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The term '''skiff''' is applied to various river craft, but a skiff is typically a small flat-bottomed open boat with a pointed bow and square stern. Although originally used mainly by fishermen, they are today primarily leisure craft. They usually hold either one person or, more commonly, three (two [[sculling |scullers]] and a [[coxswain|cox]]).

Many modern skiffs do carry a small outboard motor and have a center-console hull design, with a blunt bow, a flat bottom and a square stern. They are relatively inexpensive compared to skiboats or bass boats, and are common "working" boats, filling such jobs as ferrying passengers from the shore to a larger vessel, or employed by crab trappers.

The word has a complicated etymology: it comes from the [[Middle English]] ''skif'', which derives from the [[Old French]] ''esquif'', which in turn derives from the [[Old Italian]] ''schifo'', which is itself of [[German language|Germanic]] origin. The word is related to ''[[ship]]''.

Skiffs were once very common on the [[River Thames]] in [[England]] and featured in the famous book about a journey up the Thames in a skiff, [[Three Men in a Boat]].

The term "skif" or "skif dank" is also a term often used in stoner cliques to relate the opinion that something is good, or of high quality.

Skiff are also high performance sailing dinghies. Examples include: 29er, 49er, 18 footer and musto skiff.

The Central American version of a skiff is generally called a ''''Panga''''. The form probably originated from skiffs brought to the region by North American sport-fishers. They form the backbone of the small-scale fishing effort in the region.

Usually between 19 and 28 feet in length, with capacities ranging from 1 to 5 tons. Usually powered by outboard motors of between 45hp and 200hp, they are [[planing]] [[hull]]s capable of speeds in excess of 35 knots.

The hulls are made of [[Fiberglass]] or FRP, heavily reinforced by numerous [[bulkhead]]s and usually have [[bow]] and [[stern]] enclosed [[flotation]] compartments.

In the hands of an experienced operator they are extremely seaworthy. Most pangas have a working life of between 5 to 10 years if properly maintained.

Most Pangas are made in factories located near major [[commercial fishing]] areas. La Reforma, [[Sinaloa]], is the center of Pacific Mexico's manufacturing effort and is home to two of [[Mexico]]'s most respected panga manufacturers: El Morro and Reformania Vega. A typical panga costs about $6,000.

==External links==

*[http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/skiffhire/boats.html Thames Skiff Hire - pictures of Thames skiffs]
*[http://carolinaskiff.com/Default.aspx?tabid=101 Carolina Skiffs]
*[http://pagesofmystery.com/RubensNymphatBlueResevoir.htm miniature skiff]
*[http://www.49er.org 49er skiff]
*[http://www.29er.org 29er skiff]

[[Category:Boat types]]

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AY Honors/Rowing/Answer Key