34

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COMMENTS By Skimmer Boats

While we were manufacturing Skimmer 25’s we would occasionally be asked if we could produce a somewhat larger,
more comfortable Skimmer. We would have loved to have done so, but the initial construction costs (molds, etc.) were
so high that we just could not handle it. We have now been out of production of the Skimmer 25’s for over five years.
For us to consider producing a new Skimmer now is still out of the question. However, our designer, Reuel Parker,
has been producing cold-molded boats now for a good many years and he can produce a Skimmer 34 for us at a reasonable
cost. And if the Skimmer 34 is not big enough for you, he can produce a Skimmer 42!

Costs will obviously depend on the extra options that one would want, and so any exact cost will depend on Reuel’s costing.
Building a new Skimmer 34 would take several months, and there could not be more than two a year actually made.

Cold-molded boats have been around for many years and Reuel Parker has been making them for over 25 years. The
construction techniques have been improved over the years, and any knowledgeable surveyor or marine engineer will
tell you that there is almost no difference between a fiberglass boat and a cold-molded boat. The cold-molded boat
will normally be much stronger than the fiberglass boat because the surfaces will be thicker. In the event of an accident,
a cold-molded boat will be much easier to repair. In appearance, you will not be able to tell the difference. A cold-molded
boat is more expensive to build than a production fiberglass model, but there is not the initial cost of molds, etc., involved.

Some new builders call the process “stitch and glue”.

The 34 has been to me the prettiest boat I have ever encountered. She is extremely fast, very stiff in any heavy sea condition,
and just a joy to sail. I cannot imagine a better, more sea-kindly boat to own. And now with many more amenities below than the Skimmer 25!

Following are comments by Reuel Parker:

Construction is the simplest possible in the cold-molded genre: the bottoms are double-diagonal planked using
ripped plywood planks; topsides and decks are formed single-layer using full sheets of plywood with butt-blocks.
The hulls are planked-over longitudinals; there are no permanent frames, floors or cabin sole. Bulkheads are filleted
and taped in place after the hull is right-side-up.

The 34 footer has only 4’7” of headroom [but with the overhead hatches open, unlimited headroom], but has a large and
comfortable interior nonetheless. [It is] simple, safe and exciting to sail. Though it looks straight out of American Heritage,
it is surprisingly stiff, weatherly and fast by contemporary standards. They are pure simplicity. They are a real joy to sail!
The gaff rig is ultimate for this hull form, giving lots of drive down low, and presenting maximum sail area to the wind when
running wing and wing. The hulls will easily surf off the wind beyond hull speed. It is doubtful to us that a better all-around small
boat can be obtained for the money.

The first 34 had proven in sail trials to be a fast, stiff and weatherly sailor. Her helm balances beautifully and she steers herself much
of the time. In 15 knots of wind she does eight knots on a reach, beyond her hull speed, without putting her rail in the water. The bateau
hull punches into medium head seas without slowing down or throwing spray. The 34 is a delight to sail, and there is little in this
world as beautiful as a gaff rigged schooner. In sail trials, she also showed herself to be fast and weatherly, rather shocking some
sailors on the Chesapeake and Florida’s Indian River, perhaps they had never been passed by a small gaff-rigged schooner!