Selway-Fisher's Medway Skiff

Selway-Fisher’s Medway Skiff Medway Skiff is a pretty little eleven foot rowing skiff that could be converted into a beautiful oar cruiser suitable for protected waters. The shortest boat we've considered that could be an Oar Cruiser. 

Selway-Fisher's Medway Skiff

She is very similar in concept to Bolger’s Cartopper… both offer a small, one-person oar-powered boat that, with suitable decking and collapsible shelter, would be comfortable for overnight or weekend mini-cruises.

Specifications: 

Length: 10' 9" (3.3 m)

Beam: 48": (1200 mm)

Weight: 75 pounds (34 kg)

Water Line Length: 9' 10" (3.0 m)

Water Line Width: 35" (884 mm)

WLL/WLW Ratio: 3.4:1

Hull  Speed: 4.2 knots, 7.8 kph, 4.8 mph

Plan Overview:

Medway Skiff Plans Overview

Plans available from Selway-Fisher.

Description by Selway-Fisher:

“The Medway 11 is a rowing skiff development of our Medway Doble design. We have retained the same 3 plywood planks per side and the simple stitch and tape method of construction. She uses just 3 sheets of 5 or 6mm plywood. As drawn, she is fitted out for single use with a central rowing thwart and with buoyancy/stowage compartments at either end. These can be replaced by seating so that she could take 3 adults. Her ‘V’ bottomed hull section has a moderate waterline beam keeping the wetted surface area to a minimum making her easy to row and straight tracking. She has a ‘wineglass’ shaped transom giving her some width at deck level with basically a double ended hull form at the waterline.” 

Conversion to an Oar Cruiser

• Add a set of cross-slatted floor boards that would span the V-bottom and be level fore and aft.
• Add a removable rowing seat and foot brace that would lock into the floor boards.
• Add two watertight compartments fore and aft to provide at least a 6.5' (1981 mm) long cockpit with access hatches either on the decks or the bulkheads.
• Because the permanent thwart would be eliminated, double the in-wales, with spacer blocks, to provide the stiffening of the hull that the thwart provides.
• Add a shelter to provide protection while sleeping.

Summary-Pros:

• Light enough to car-top.
• Easy to row at slow speeds.
• Capable of holding one person plus supplies for a week.
• Ideal for protected waters.

Summary-Cons:

• Limited displacement.
• Short WLL limits top speed.

Two Medway Oar Cruisers at Stockton Lake:

They had spent the winter building two 'his and her' Medway Oar Cruisers. Strapped together and riding on the roof rack of their SUV, they drove to Missouri and launched at one of three marinas on Stockton Lake. The lake has over 288 miles of shoreline. They took full advantage of the camp sites but 'stealth camped' some nights in their Oar Cruisers, enjoying the solitude and quiet, anchored in one of the many small coves. A week later, they returned home, refreshed and delighted with the hundreds of photos they took of the abundant wildlife at the lake.