Hell's Bay's New 12-Foot, 250-Pound Skiff

October 29, 2009 By: Marshall Cutchin

Anyone who’s ridden in a skiff much will tell you that usually longer is better when it comes to cutting through chop (witness the resurging popularity of canoe-style craft), but many of the same folks will also admit to fantasies of fishing in the smallest boat possible. Small boats like the 16′ 10″ Dolphin SuperSkiff have dominated tournaments over the years because they are nimble to pole and drive and burn minimal amounts of fuel.
Now Hell’s Bay seems willing to push that envelope by building a 12′ 9″ Kevlar craft that poles in puddles and needs only a tiny motor to take you where you want to go. “With a 45 inch beam, the Skate, Hell’s Bay’s smallest craft, is made with tough Kevlar and weighs just 250 lbs. Its draft is a mere 3 ½ inches with engine and six gallons of fuel. Hell’s Bay recommends a 9.9 or 15 hp two stroke tiller-steered outboard for power.”
And yes, you can throw it in the back of a pickup.