Skua - Now available in FIBERGLASS!

Skua Pronounced skoo-ah or skyoo-ah (noun) 1) A powerful, gull-like, seabird of the polar regions. A deceptively fast flier known for taking prey from other birds of prey. 2) Probably the most historically significant fixed seat rowing craft that you cannot read about in a book* and quite possibly the most important rowing design of the 20th century. In the early 1990s Skua became the first sub-100 lbs. craft, in modern times, to win a major fixed seat open water race. At one time or another, Skua has won nearly every regularly scheduled race on the East Coast. Skua's consistent, strong performances on the open water racing circuit helped to dispel some widely held beliefs which were unsupported by any reasonable interpretation of the principals of naval architecture or the laws of physics. Prior to that time most people in the rowing community believed that undecked, fixed seat rowing craft needed to be very deep, beamy and heavily built to survive in the coastal environment; yet many of Skua's greatest victories were achieved in very rough conditions. Before Skua's breakout performance many people thought that any boat equipped with a sliding seat, regardless of hull length or shape could outperform any fixed seat boat, but in multi-class races Skua's finishing times often bested those of sliding seat recreational shells. Skua proved to modern rowers that a well-designed and built lightweight rowing cruiser is superior to any workboat replica (see our FAQ page) and her success inspired other builders to bring other lightweight, fixed seat designs to the coastal environment, with varying results. What is absolutely certain is that no coastal workboat replica has seriously challenged these lightweight craft in a single major open water event since the mid-1990s. That period marked the beginning of a distinct preferential shift in buying habits within the recreational rowing community. Before that time casual rowers didn't have many good choices. They could pick from a wide assortment of ungainly, obsolete, 19th century coastal workboats totally unsuited to car-topping and far too heavy for most couples to carry to and from the water. Back then, the lightweight alternative was some sort of complex, demanding, narrowly focused, "sweat or die" sliding seat shell that offered little possibility of a relaxed, casual outing. As more rowers become aware of clear, practical alternatives, growing numbers are choosing versatile, able, user-friendly, high-performance, fixed seat open water craft. * As this was being written, all of the major texts available that deal with fixed seat rowing were written more than three decades ago.

Soon after its introduction in 1991 the 16 foot Skua became our most popular model. It’s easy to see why. From its fine, yet buoyant bow to its high, tightly tucked transom, this elegant craft has everything the performance oriented cruising rower could want: speed, stability, capacity, ruggedness, portability and safety. All of these qualities can be found in other craft, but not in the balance that makes this one so special. With an effortless glide Skua almost seems to be self-propelled and to track and turn in direct response to your brainwaves. And Skua brings you all of this in a package that is as light and easily transported as many canoes.

We wanted real world proof of how well Skua compared with other well-regarded designs, so we placed her in the hands of a couple of avid coastal racers. Since the early 1990’s Skua has, at one time or another won nearly every significant coastal race from New England to the Chesapeake.

We are especially proud that Skua has won the Blackburn Challenge. The Challenge is a 20+ mile race held each summer off the coast of Gloucester, MA. The course is designed to test both the speed and seaworthiness of human-powered craft. Conditions for the 1993 Challenge were described as windy and choppy, yet Skua pulled away from its nearest competition by about a minute per mile. Skua was described by winning racer Cliff Punchard as "corky and dry." Skua continued her winning ways in 1994 with first place finishes in several important coastal races including, once again, the Blackburn Challenge, this time with Ben Booth of Mashpee, MA at the oars. Ben had never set foot in a Middle Path boat until three days before the race, yet he missed breaking the course record by only seconds. Pleased with his victory but disappointed that a new record had eluded him, Ben returned in 1995 and shattered the old record by 19 minutes. In Ben’s words, "The boat really cooked." In multi-class races, Skua’s times compare favorably with those of recreational shells, and her greatest victories have occurred in rough weather. Among the competitive boats, Skua sets the standard for stability and comfort in a chop.

The amazing part of this story is that Skua, like all Middle Path boats, is a forgiving cruiser, not a quirky predatory racing machine. Skua is just one example of the efficiency designed into all Middle Path boats. Make no mistake about it, Skua is a cruising boat that just happens to win races. Even the racers comment on the comfort and security of this craft!

Skua’s achievements on the racing circuit have inspired a number of imitators; some of them quite impressive in their own ways. While the better "copies" perform well in a limited range of conditions, Skua retains its speed and composure in the full range of conditions that prudent rowers are likely to ever get caught out in. Total refinement is why Skua continues to distinguish itself in new and different ways with each passing year. Other boats may look like Skua, but the original is still the best.

Until 1996 Skua, like our 19 other models, was available constructed in wood/epoxy/fiberglass composite only. The interest in this design was so broad that we decided to make it available in a more affordable fiberglass lay-up so that more people will have the opportunity to experience this remarkable design. Thus Skua became our first design offered with hulls constructed primarily of fiberglass-reinforced plastic. These superbly crafted wine glass transom hulls is tastefully trimmed out with varnished mahogany gunwales, a mahogany foot brace and 3 mahogany thwarts. Stainless steel fasteners are used throughout. The exterior is protected by a super-hard white gelcoat. The safety of these seaworthy hulls is enhanced by captive closed-cell foam flotation. Not only is the Skua FRP unsinkable, the new one-piece liner, introduced in 2002, makes this boat as self-righting as a craft of this type can be. Furthermore, the Skua FRP has so much enclosed volume that it could still be rowed in the unlikely event that it should become swamped. The general specs (weight and dimensions) of the fiberglass-hulled boats closely approximate those of their wood composite counterparts.

On Oct. 4, 2003, at the Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival XXI in St. Michaels, MD our efforts to produce the worlds most sophisticated rowing cruiser were recognized when the Skua FRP was awarded first prize in the Contemporary Design category, a class which encompasses new designs, built using non-traditional building methods and materials. At that same event, against some worthy competition, Skua FRP was rowed to decisive victories in both the Men's and Women's Fixed Seat Rowing Races. Congratulations to Lacey England and Brian Schexnayder on their fine victories!

The price of these elegant craft is $4,100 for the fixed seat model. This price includes 2 pairs of gunwale mounted bronze oarlocks and 1 pair of leathered premium quality 7’6" spoon-bladed wooden oars. The price of the combination fixed/sliding seat model is $5,300.

This includes all of the features, fittings and accessories that come standard with the fixed seat model plus a drop-in sliding seat unit and a pair of high quality 9’ 9" carbon fiber sculls.

You also may order your Skua with a fixed seat, but ready for a sliding seat for $4,200.

Our designs are available as completed boats only; we do NOT sell kits or plans.