Skipjack

Description

The Skipjack by Stevenson Projects (now evolved into the Super-Skipjack) is a fun, lightweight, open-cockpit wooden daysailer/dinghy designed for easy home building, sporty performance, and shallow-water fun. Originally introduced in the mid-1970s as a simple 12-foot plywood sailboat, it was redesigned and improved as the Super-Skipjack around 2010–2011: stretched to 14 ft on deck, fitted with a powerful gaff rig borrowed from the popular Weekender (Stevenson's 16 ft pocket cruiser), and optimized for nimble, responsive sailing without a daggerboard (it sails fine on its full-length keel). This boat draws inspiration from traditional Chesapeake Bay skipjacks (shallow-draft oyster dredgers), but it's a modern, scaled-down plywood/epoxy version for recreational day sailing, fishing, or learning to sail. It's aimed at first-time builders (stitch-and-glue or basic plywood construction, with detailed plans including photos and step-by-step guides), and thousands have built similar Stevenson designs over decades. It's fast and playful in a breeze (lots of sail power for its size), stable enough for beginners, rows/motors well, and beaches easily perfect for lakes, rivers, or coastal shallows.