Yo Ho!: A Free 1954 Plan for a 13 ft Plywood Skiff
Weston Farmer's 13 ft plywood skiff from 1954 has no twisting bends and takes oars or a 1 1/2 to 7 1/2 hp outboard.
Yo Ho! sounds like a pirate's cheer, but it is a sensible little skiff at heart. Weston Farmer designed it at 13 ft (4 m) long and 50 in (1.3 m) wide, with plywood panels that go on without any twisting bends. That last detail matters: it makes the build calmer and more predictable. Row it on a quiet lake or hang an outboard on the back and explore a little further.
Yo Ho! at a glance
| Detail | Yo Ho! |
|---|---|
| Type | Skiff |
| Length | 13 ft (3.96 m) |
| Beam | 50 in (1.27 m) |
| Construction | 1/4 in. plywood topsides, 3/8 in. plywood bottom; no twisting bends |
| Power | Oars, or outboards from a 1 1/2 hp to 7 1/2 hp |
| Designer | Weston Farmer |
| First published | Sports Afield Boatbuilding Annual, 1954, pp. 51–55 |
| Plan sheets | 5 |
Why it is so easy to plank
Twisting a plywood panel into a complex curve is where many first builds go wrong. Yo Ho! avoids that entirely: the 1/4 in. topsides and 3/8 in. bottom go on as simple bends, which saves time and frustration. Flat or gently curved panels are also easier to cut accurately from full sheets.
The 50 in beam gives a stable, roomy feel for a 13 ft boat. Power is flexible too, from oars up to outboards between 1 1/2 and 7 1/2 hp, so the same skiff can be a rowing boat or a little runabout. It is a boat that can change roles with the seasons.
The original plan sheets
These are the 5 original sheets from 1954, scanned from the magazine. For building, use the full-size PDF in the download section below.
Who designed it
Weston Farmer drew Yo Ho! for the Sports Afield Boatbuilding Annual of 1954, where it ran on pages 51 to 55. Farmer was a naval architect whose designs and writing appeared in American boating magazines for decades.
Before you build
- Use the thicker 3/8 in. plywood only for the bottom as drawn; swapping thicknesses will change how the panels bend.
- Keep the outboard within 1 1/2 to 7 1/2 hp and add a transom knee if you plan to use the top of that range.
- Set the rowing seat and oarlock spacing to suit the 50 in beam before you fasten the thwart.
Download the plan
The complete 1954 Yo Ho! plan in one file: all five sheets at full size, ready to print or view on a tablet.
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