Goat Island Skiff Sailing Dinghy 15.5 Ft Custom Built Wooden Boat

The Goat Island Skiff is a fast and remarkably capable 15′ 6″ sailing dinghy known for its lightweight construction, generous beam, and powerful yet easily managed sail plan. With a waterline length of 14′ 9″ and a broad 5′ beam, the design offers impressive form stability and ample cockpit space for crew movement. Its shallow 4″ draft with the centerboard raised allows effortless beach launching and exploration of skinny waters, while the 36″ draft with board down provides strong upwind performance and directional control. A depth of 20″ amidships ensures a secure and comfortable interior freeboard. Our workshop recreates this spirited skiff using premium marine materials-including Western Red Cedar, Mahogany, and high-grade marine plywood reinforced with U.S.-made fiberglass cloth and sealed with marine epoxy. Built primarily using stitch-and-glue construction, the hull achieves an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio while maintaining clean, elegant lines. The balanced lug rig carries 105 sq ft of sail area, delivering lively acceleration and efficient power in light to moderate winds, while the optional 14 sq ft sprit sail enhances downwind balance and versatility. Clients may customize wood combinations, deck layout, buoyancy compartments, hardware specification, rig configuration, and finish level-tailoring the Goat Island Skiff for daysailing, camp-cruising, or spirited club racing. General Dimensions: - Length Overall (LOA): 15.6ft - Length at Waterline (LWL): 14.9ft - Beam: 5ft - Draft (board up/down): 4″ / 36″ - Depth Amidships: 20″ - Sail Area: 105 sq ft (balanced lug) + 14 sq ft (sprit) - Propulsion: Sail Performance & Use: Designed for lakes, bays, and coastal waters, the Goat Island Skiff combines shallow-water accessibility with energetic sailing performance. Its wide beam and efficient hull form provide excellent stability and speed, making it suitable for both solo sailors and small crews. Lightweight, responsive, and easily trailered, it represents a modern interpretation of the classic open sailing skiff-practical, elegant, and engaging to sail. This wooden boat crafted by us is built from woodenboat.com plans, with full credit given to the original designers. For each custom commission, we acquire the appropriate plans and construct the vessel to order-offering both full-size boats and finely detailed scale models. The Goat Island Skiff was designed in the early 2000s by Australian naval architect Michael Storer as a lightweight, fast, and accessible small sailing skiff. Storer aimed to create a boat that combined traditional working-boat aesthetics with modern plywood construction, making it affordable and achievable for home builders without sacrificing performance. Inspired by classic shoal-draft skiffs and beach boats found in Australia and the United States, the design emphasizes simplicity, shallow draft capability, and efficient sail power. Its balanced lug rig was chosen for ease of handling, strong light-wind performance, and minimal hardware requirements. Built primarily using stitch-and-glue plywood construction, the Goat Island Skiff quickly gained popularity among amateur builders due to its straightforward assembly process and impressive sailing characteristics. Over time, the Goat Island Skiff developed an international following, particularly among small-boat cruising enthusiasts and camp-cruisers. It has been used for coastal adventures, micro-cruising expeditions, and even small-boat challenges, proving its seaworthiness beyond its modest size. Today, it is regarded as one of the most successful modern plywood skiff designs-valued for its speed, versatility, and strong connection to traditional small-boat heritage