Compass Skiff 10 / 12

The 12-foot Compass Skiff is now shipping!

Easy-to-Build | Cute but tough | Stable and family friendly

SPECIFICATIONS 10 | 12

The Compass Skiff was designed to meet two needs in the build-it-yourself community: a cute, small, outboard-driven skiff that provided a stable platform to help kids get out on the rivers and lakes and protected bays, and, secondly, to create a boat that was so easy and fun to build that we could do it in 2-days at a the first annual Biddeford Boatbuilding Festival.

The Coast Guard rating of 3hp (10-footer) or 4hp (12-footer) is what is “approved” via USCG calculations. While performance is not the point of a small outboard skiff like this some opt to use a 6hp motor to help get the boat to plane, otherwise the lower horsepower allows you to cruise along nicely in the skiff.

The Compass 12 was designed to be a slightly enlarged version of the 10-footer: she has a little more length and beam so will definitely feel larger. There is a touch more depth and freeboard as well allowing for more capacity. There is more of a side seat configuration than the 10’ has with space under the side seat for a gas tank allowed by the extra volume. The 12-footer will be more comfortable if you are running consistently with 2 or more people. Yet it is the exact same construction process and still light and easy to move around.

Oarlocks are mounted to the gunwales for rowing; a special space for a paddle is built into the boat as well. One of a few design challenges in an outboard skiff is how to introduce enough flare in the hull sides up forward so that people inside feel secure and spray is potentially knocked down before coming into the boat. The Compass Skiff solves that by utilizing some compound curvature in the hull sides and bringing the bow up high in the bow. It looks and feel great! The other design challenge in a skiff this size is making her feel bigger than she really is. The Compass Skiff solves that by having more than ample freeboard. People always remark about how comfortable it looks and how much bigger it looks than it actually is. The construction is all 9mm Okoume plywood built over bulkheads and a midship frame, all in the kit. The kit utilized Chase Small Craft's tab-n-lock system of assembly where no strongback is required. The timber kit includes a variety of hand-selected hard and softwoods, typically White Ash for the rubrails, Eastern White Pine for seat, and a Mahogany or Oak keel.

The 10' Compass Skiff general arrangement. There is room in back for a 3-gal tank.

The Compass 12: side bench and more interior volume / capacity.

“The Compass Skiff feels like a bigger boat than it is. Its high sheer and wide stance suggest a strength and capability that you wouldn’t expect from a 10 footer”

— Volunteer from Compass Project

Complete kit contents for the Compass Skiff 10 / 12

plywood kit | timber kit | hardware kit | epoxy kit

The timber kits for the Compass 10 and Compass 12 are identical except for a little extra length for CS-12 parts

Compass Skiff 10-foot Hardware

Compass Skiff 12-foot Hardware

Epoxy kit

Compass Skiff Options, upgrades, and accessories

Meranti can be used as an option for bottom plank (extra durability for beaching)
The 10- and 12-foot model has two arrangements for the aft compartment: a hinged lid/split seat or a one piece tank top/seat
Upgrade the middle seat to a mahogany seat (Pine is standard)
Upgrade to solid, hardwood knees in lieu of plywood knees in plywood kit
Optional for rubrails to be Mahogany or Ash
Upgrade to a Bronze bow eye in lieu of Brz eye strap
Tool kit to build the Compass 10/12