Rowing regattas with local craft were common until the 1950s. The sport has seen a resurgence in recent years, particularly in Shetland, where there are more than twenty boats racing.
The aim of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Project is to provide a relatively inexpensive entry to the sport by using a design which can be built by the communities who will be rowing the boats, rather than buying completed boats from professional boat builders.
The basic principle is that the boats to be raced should be available at as low a price as possible. Jordan Boats supply the kit for an Iain Oughtred design known as the St Ayles skiff. The estimated completion cost of one of these boats is around £3,000. The St Ayles Skiff is 22ft, with a beam of 5’8″. The standard crew is four oarsmen or women, with a coxswain.
For more information take a look at the website of the Scottish Coastal Rowing Association. The site has plentiful advice on building and maintaining skiffs, as well as the rules of racing and safety issues.