The Skiff Craft Annual Wooden Boat Open House Is This Saturday – And You’re Invited
24- 26 Foot Skiff Craft – Photo courtesy Skiff Craft Boats.
If you live near Columbus, Ohio and want to take a break from the Polar Vortex this weekend, we have some good news for you. If you don’t live near Columbus, Ohio – There’s nothing we can do for you, buy some long underwear! (Click on the Polar Vortex link above – It’s shocking!)
Fellow Woody Boater David Brandenstein from Akron, Ohio contacted us via our Facebook page to let us know that the annual Wooden Boat Open House is this weekend (March 1st) near Columbus, Ohio.
Texx – The Skiff Craft factory is having the annual Open House this Saturday from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. If any of your viewers are interested in attending, please contact Steve at the factory 614-873-4664 during the day. This is a cool opportunity to see boats in various stages of refurbishing, the jigs that current wooden boats are built on (22 feet – 31 feet), wooden boat flea market table (buy or bring things to sell), or just come by to smell the years of varnish in the air. – David
Skiff Craft plant craftsmanship – Photo courtesy Skiff Craft Boats
Here’s some information from the Skiff Craft Boats website. – Texx
Handcrafted Wooden Boats Classically Designed Since 1904.
Handcrafted by artisans. Skiff Craft boats are lovingly made by hand one at a time. Building one takes two to three months, so only a limited number are made each year. A master builder personally selects the materials to be custom milled and machined. Then each boat is meticulously crafted from framework to finish by a team of artisans who ply their time-honored skills. You’ll love the result.
24- 26 Foot Skiff Craft – Photo courtesy Skiff Craft Boats
The finest design and materials. This classic wooden boat is steeped in tradition and built with integrity. The large cockpit creates a feeling of spaciousness and luxury, unlike anything else on the water. Air-dried white oak is selected for the keel and one-piece ribs are steamed and formed. Fir plywood specially ordered from the Pacific Northwest is chosen for the keel-to-gunwhale hull. Quality is everywhere, down to the brass screws and stainless-steel bolts.
24- 26 Foot Skiff Craft interior – Photo courtesy Skiff Craft Boats
31- 33 Foot Skiff Craft – Photo courtesy Skiff Craft Boats
Last summer while we were touring Minnesota, Dave Bortner from Freedom Boat Service arranged for us to take a tour of the huge Tonka Bay Marina (Skiff Craft office) on Lake Minnetonka, which was great – an impressive operation which also stores over 600 boats over the winter. Minor maintenance to your Skiff Craft can be completed at Tonka Bay Marina, and more extensive maintenance work and wood repair / restoration work is sent to the Skiff Craft plant in Plain City, Ohio.
31- 33 Foot Skiff Craft – Photo courtesy Skiff Craft Boats
The Skiff Craft marque is popular in Minnesota, and when we were boating on Lake Minnetonka, the big elegant skiffs were everywhere. – Texx
David also noted that for anyone interested in attending the Wooden Boat Open House this weekend, the Skiff Craft factory is located at:
225 Guy Steet, in Plain City, Ohio – where they still produce wooden boats today.
Tell them that Dave sent you…
David Brandenstein
Skiff Craft Boats
skiffcraft.com
_______________
Lapstrake Love. Thanks
Beautiful boats!
Love the overhead shot! Woodyboating at its BEST!
The boatress and I saw this one during the ACBS Sunnyland chapter Valentines Day cruise on Lake Harris 2 weeks ago.
Let’s see if this one works…
Nice to see that there is a company out there still taking the time and effort for a quality result in this fast paced “get it out the door” world.
Wish I lived close to Columbus, OH. A tour of the Skiff Craft facility would be a great way to dodge the Solar Vortex.
Solar Vortex! An interesting term that I don’t ever recall being used in my 71 years of life. Did someone decide that it needed a fancy name this year? Is it the reason for past “cold winters” in the USA? Why did it not have an official name before? Just curious…
For those who can be at the Skiff Craft Open House tomorrow, take photos and send them to Woody Boater.
the ‘Polar Vortex’ is the politically correct replacement for ‘Blame Canada’. We, of course, have been blaming the Russians for the ‘Siberia Express’, and shall continue to do so!
Sweet boats!!!
Rob (still freezing in Toronto)
These are very well-built and spacious boats…I’ve been aboard this 1996 model for sale in Green Lake, WI:
http://www.shorelineboatcenter.com/pre_owned_detail.asp?sid=0786297X2K28K2014J9I16I57JAMQ6506R0&veh=3173274
Oops…I guess It’s a 2006 model.
I wish I could attend. It is on my bucket list.
We sure are enjoying our 1984 24′ Skiff Craft Hardtop model. These are great boats to carry a crowd comfortably through even rough waters. I love the way they are using even more mahogany trim on the new models.
The picture is shot of our Skiff Craft while underway this fall in the White Cliffs of Alabama area as we headed to Mobile Bay.
That’s Big Bob Johnson in his dork hat on the header with our guests from Ontario for the day (who Kathy Rhodes will again have to remind me of their names – she does layout for Toronto ACBS Classic Boat magazine and her husband golfs, lol. actually he’s an officer in the Peel District Police Dept and has the sharpest eye for gator spottin’ I’ve ever seen – must be zero crime rate in Peel District with his eagle eyes).
Gator on a stick? Looks tasty.
taste like chicken
Heard a rumor you may have two spots available for Tuesday on the St. Johns southbound cruise.
Yes, Troy, that reservation is in your name unless you cancel. Look forward to meeting you and your companion.
Don’t see us canceling.
I guess we COULD get a better offer?
Troy – You are in good hands with Floyd.
Bonus is (when you travel with Floyd) you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about Dippy’s.
Do I have to start calling him floyd r allstate?
Did I read there was an Amish connection somehow with Skiff Craft or am I confused?
I have been told both Amish and Mennonite craftsmen from the area around Plain City, OH build these tough boats.
Yes, I love these Skiff Crafts… picture of mine (1984 26ft Hardtop) parting the waves on Lake Erie near the islands, where many of these boats are still fishing for Walleye today (…well not today, it’s still frozen, but this spring). Also as mentioned previously many of the Skiff Crafts are the “Gentlemen Runabouts” cruising Lake Minnetonka near the Tonka Bay Marina area. They are great fishing boats and dress-up well with plenty of mahogany for the evening cruise… great all-round rough water boat.
I really enjoy the WoodyBoater Website… has help me get through the Polar Vortex here in Ohio…and the rest of the year too.
Thanks for sharing the Skiff Craft open house story with us Dave along with the photos.
Also a pic from one of the past Factory Open houses, where the boats return ever 10 or 15 years or so for paint, varnish and repair with hopes to head back out for another 15 or so years before returning.
try again on the pic
Here’s another shot of Big Bob Johnson (as Floyd calls him) in the yellow shirt and Floyd R. Turbo with their guests during last year’s fun St. Johns River Cruise in FLA.
Texx:
Do I have to tell you that that is the SAME picture?
The header will disappear at 6:00 AM tomorrow and folks reading the story later will be confused – thus the cropped shot.
You are always thinking!
I am a new wood boat owner having recently purchased a 1962 Century Resorter. What is the best way to prepare the boat for the spring launch. I have heard that soaking the boat from the inside using towels is one way, I have thought of backing the trailer, with boat on it, to the water line and allowing it to soak for several days–any ideas–pls respond, I’m thanking you in advance. Rod
Hi Rod – I sent you an e-mail with some contact information regarding this subject. – Texx