Lapstrake wooden boats. Hand-built since 1904.
Restored and serviced in Minnesota.
A line of wooden boats that began in 1904 on the lakes of Ontario, crossed the border in 1959, and has been hand-built by Amish and Mennonite craftsmen ever since.
The story starts with brothers Victor and Stanley Henry near Peterborough, Ontario. The boats they built — the Henry Boat Company — earned their reputation on the harsh waters of Canadian lakes and rivers. Lapstrake hulls, high freeboards, made to come home.
In 1959 the company crossed the border into the American Midwest, settled in Plain City, Ohio, and took the name it carries today: Skiff Craft.
Brothers Victor and Stanley Henry open the Henry Boat Company on the lakes of Ontario. Lapstrake hulls, high freeboards — wooden boats built for harsh Canadian waters and made to come home.
The company crosses into the American Midwest, settles in Plain City, Ohio, and takes the name it carries today: Skiff Craft. The original jigs travel with it. Amish and Mennonite craftsmen from the surrounding community build every hull — hand-fitted, plank by plank — from that day forward.
At the height of the wooden-boat era, Skiff Craft turns out as many as 150 boats a year. The X220, X240 and X260 runabouts cruise the Great Lakes and inland waters across the Midwest. The last new hull leaves Plain City in 2011.
The Skiff Craft name lives on under the ownership of Midwest Boat Appeal and Marine Plywood in Minnesota. Full restoration, refinishing, service and parts — the same standard of craftsmanship that began in Peterborough more than a century ago.
The signature Skiff Craft — an open cockpit, single helm and classic lapstrake hull. A rare open runabout built for cruising, entertaining and weekends on the water.
Covered helm with a mahogany windshield frame and generous freeboard — built to drive the Great Lakes in any weather, in any season.
An upper helm station raised above the deck for commanding views and a second place to run the boat. The flybridge design is available across the Skiff Craft range.
Philippine mahogany. Properly dried, hand-selected for grain and tone.
Steam-bent, kiln-dried. Used for frames, ribs, rub rail, and structural members below the waterline.
BS 1088 throughout. Phenolic-based glue, void-free, certified to British Standard.
Stainless steel fasteners and polished chrome hardware. No ferrous metals in contact with the hull.
Time-proven tung-oil-based varnish, proven to withstand the elements.
Chrome and polished brass. Period-correct fittings, fasteners, and trim.
Four-season boat care, all done in-house. Whatever your Skiff Craft needs — season to season — we take care of it here.
Service available through Midwest Boat Appeal and Marine Plywood, Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota.