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First contact with the liquid element and first impression: this Jimmy Skiff is STABLE! Indeed the wide bottom panel and single chine provide a good width where it counts: at the bottom of the hull. |
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Second impression: it is amazingly easy to move it under oar. The hull's feather weight combined with the long waterline and moderate beam make it a very able rowing craft. But I have not taken the rig along only to air it (rather yes indeed, but not quite just like this!) |
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There we are! The Jimmy Skiff's stability helped me to step the mast without trouble, but I must say that the lack of wind or waves helped a lot too. No mistake, stepping and unstepping this mast is a muscle job. I planned a hoist to set or lower the sail without touching the mast every time. |
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Click on the photos to see larger versions. |
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| Another planned add-on: a tiller extension, because it's on the middle thwart that the ballast that I am is the best centered by this kind of weather, and I have to stretch my arm pretty far to reach the tiller, although rather long itself. |
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This kind of single chined flat hull gives its best when slightly heeled. On this picture, I have just been surprised by a little gust and I almost put the rail in the water... The Skiff doesn't provide the same progressive rise in lateral buoyancy afforded by the Skerry's multiple chines. |
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The wind picks up a bit and the Jimmy Skiff accelerates frankly, promising many pleasures in a good breeze. The limit will then be the waves: unless one takes along a bailer mate, one will have to watch the quantity of water coming aboard! I think it will be a must to install bailers through the bottom of the hull if the boat is to be sailed in open sea. |
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| The sprit boom is clearly visible through the sail : it is so high that the helmsman will have to stand up to risk banging his/her head! The "snotter" is sent back to the daggerboard case's aft edge, as the clew line, just under the helmsman's hand. |
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The sprit boom supresses the need for a boom vang while keeping the sail twist in check. On this picture, the sail is a bit too tightly sheeted, the leech is a bit closed and twist is insufficient. |
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A Skerry vs. Jimmy Skiff match sets up. |
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| The two boats have similar waterlines: the Skerry is longer by almost two feet but most of it is the stem overhang, which plays no role today. |
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The Jimmy Skiff has a slight sail area advantage: 5.60 m2 against 5.20 m2 for the Skerry, although the sprit sail provides a better yield, which should make up for its lower area. |
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The sprit wins! I must say that the Jimmy Skiff's sail is on
its "bad" tack: it is briddled by the sprit boom which causes this ugly crease and reduces its maximum yield.
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