Tolman Skiff Jumbo

Tolman Skiffs are thoroughly modern, ocean capable, vee bottom stitch and glue plywood boats with a dory ancestry. These skiffs are designed for Alaskan waters and are ideal for sport fishing, beach camping, cruising and general work or recreation. Here’s a boat you can build with common tools, common materials, and common skills. Using stitch and glue construction, epoxy resin and fiberglass cloth, these are strong yet lightweight hulls easily assembled by the home builder.Due to its light weight in relation to its size, a Tolman Skiff is very economical to operate, yet will ride well due to their variable vee-bottom construction, chine flats and spray rails. With stitch-and-glue construction, most of the hull strength comes from the plywood, therefore minimal framing is required. Unlike plank on frame or cold-molded boats requiring hours of labor spent cutting and fastening, Tolman Skiffs consist of bottom panels, side panels and eight pieces of framing: the transom, bowstem, two longitudinal stringers and four pieces of side framing. Even though the hull is marine plywood, every square inch is sheathed in fiberglass cloth set in epoxy resin thereby sealing all the wooden parts from water intrusion.The stock design for a Tolman Jumbo calls for a width of 8′ and length of 22′. Most builders stretch the length to 24′. The hull will easily support full cabins and pilothouses, making the Jumbo an economical offshore fishing or cruising boat. Although the Jumbo was specifically designed for the Yamaha 115hp 4 stroke, many builders have gone up to a 140hp Suzuki for this hull.