The boat looks like a good length and width (e.g. narrower than the new peeler skiff). A related follow-up question would be whether the boat could handle leaving the engine on while trailering, or while in the yard (as we used to do with a 13' whaler or 12' old heavy wooden boat for the summer).

Bob,

You might want to use the "Contact Us" link at the top of this page and ask CLC support directly. The Jimmy Skiff is an old design that I don't think sells that much anymore. At least, there's not that much buzz on here about it.

I really like the Jimmy Skiff quite a bit. It's a basic and honest design. No pretensions, does what it's supposed to do, does it well and is easy to build, even from plans instead of a kit. It was the first CLC boat I ever sailed 16 years ago back at the first Okoumefest I attended. If I hadn't already been building a similar skiff I'd have bought the plans (though that Skerry prototype with the boomless sprit rig was also interesting) .

It's utterly predictable in its handling, stable and can sail with a large load. At one point I was pressed into ferrying 2 large people from a moored boat to shore with no trouble. Even though it was my first time ever in that boat, it always went exactly where I wanted it to go. Getting off a lee shore (OK, a lee dock) and tacking between pilings was no trouble at all.

As far as a motor goes, the boat was designed in the age of 2-strokes. 2 hp is the most you should need to use to get it going hull speed, maybe a couple more in case you're motoring into a gale. It should be the lightest possible weight. For more info, check with CLC.

Have fun,

Laszlo

I looks like John is building a possible replacement for the Jimmy. View the skiff under construction on the web cam. Also this link for a sketch of the design.

http://www.clcboats.com/forum/clcforum/thread/34879.html 

The Jimmy Skiff is a light boat with a fine-lined stern compared to your typical outboard skiff.  Most skiffs designed for an engine have the same beam at the stern as they do amidships;  basically, the 'midships section continues right to the stern.  This extra buoyancy supports the weight of the engine and the crew sitting next to it, and keeps the stern from squatting when under way.  

The Jimmy Skiff has a sailing/rowing boat's stern.  I really think an electric trolling motor is the appropriate power unit for this boat if you must power it at all.

It's straightforward to plug the Jimmy Skiff into the computer and see what it would look like with a 40-pound outboard and a 180-pound driver:

Kind of silly, actually. You could get a tiller extension and sit amidships and the boat would balance out, but you'd still have to kneel back there to start the motor.  Something I'd hate to do in that trim in a choppy harbor...

   OK, sounds like some have used it with an outboard, but the current recommendaton is a trolling motor (whose battery placement can help with trim).

My interest was rowing (not too beamy) as well as flexibility (motor & sail, though for me sailing comes in 3rd in priority).

Last year I bought and started using a new 30# Suzuki 2.5 HP, mounted on a lifting bracket on my Jimmy Skiff.  Prior to this, I had an electric trolling motor rated for 40 pounds of thrust.  The Suzuki is much more powerful and can claw its way through the strongest tidal currents in my area.  The electric trolling motor could not power my Jimmy Skiff against these very strong currents in some places/times. 

Mounting and starting the gas motor is actualy easier in my opinion than carying the 70# AGM battery that I had for my trolling motor and mounting it and the motor in place on the boat after arriving at the water's edge.  I did end up adding some wood braces in the front of the cocpit to strap the battery to, and then make sure that the trailer supported that part of the bottom.  Then I was able to leave the battery in the boat.

The heavy battery in the front did help balance the load, except that then it would tend to dig into steep waves more than I liked.  With the Suzuki, it barely makes a diffence to trim in itself, but I do use a tiller extension and sit in the midship section.

The 2.5 HP motor is relatively quiet, especially when just 'coasting along', sips gasoline at an incredibly slow rate, and has the speed and power to get you out of a tight spot (storm coming in and going up-river against the tide).  

The Jimmy Skiff is still best for sailing and rowing, but adding a small, light motor gives it another dimention and allows me to be less worried about a shift in the weather. - Ron www.jimmyskiff.blogspot.com