Trailering a skiff boat is not something that every car can do, so it’s a good idea to check the weight of your skiff boat before you hook the trailer to your car.
The average weight of a skiff boat is 500 pounds (227 kilograms). If you add the fuel and a few equipment on board a skiff boat will have an average weight of 600 pounds (272 kilograms). The average weight of a trailer is around 600 pounds (272 kilograms). And on average a skiff boat can hold around 500 pounds (227 kilograms).
While this is not a definitive rule, in general a skiff boat will weigh more, the longer it is. But as the materials that are used for a skiff boat get lighter with each new model, this “rule” is getting very outdated. So let’s take a look at some skiff boat models made in the last year and see which is their average weight.
Table of Contents
The Average Weight of 21 Different Skiff Boats
| Skiff Boat Model | Weight (pounds) | Weight (kilograms) | Length |
| Dragonfly Boats Marsh Hen Micro Skiff | 200 lbs | 90 kg | 15 feet |
| Ankona Boats Shadowcast | 350 lbs | 159 kg | 18 feet |
| Beavertail Skiffs Micro | 400 lbs | 181 kg | 16 feet |
| Ankona Boats Advent | 400 lbs | 181 kg | 17 feet |
| Ankona Boats Native | 425 lbs | 193 kg | 15 feet |
| Ankona Boats Cayenne | 450 lbs | 204 kg | 17 feet |
| Dragonfly Boats Emerger 16 | 520 lbs | 235 kg | 16 feet |
| Dragonfly Boats DGB 15 | 525 lbs | 238 kg | 15 feet |
| Beavertail Skiffs Mosquito | 540 lbs | 245 kg | 18 feet |
| Beavertail Skiffs Strike | 550 lbs | 250 kg | 17 feet |
| Xplor BoatWorks X13 | 600 lbs | 272 kg | 18 feet |
| Xplor BoatWorks X24 | 625 lbs | 283 kg | 24 feet |
| Beavertail Skiffs Vengeance | 675 lbs | 306 kg | 18 feet |
| Xplor BoatWorks X7 | 700 lbs | 317 kg | 18 feet |
| Dragonfly Boats Dragonfly 17 | 700 lbs | 317 kg | 17 feet |
| Dragonfly Boats Grand Slam 17 | 700 lbs | 317 kg | 17 feet |
| Beavertail Skiffs Air | 700 lbs | 317 kg | 18 feet |
| Xplor BoatWorks X18 | 750 lbs | 340 kg | 18 feet |
| Hewes Redfisher 16 | 1,700 lbs | 771 kg | 16 feet |
| Hewes Redfisher 18 | 1,900 lbs | 861 kg | 18 feet |
| Hewes Redfisher 21 | 2,850 lbs | 1292 kg | 21 feet |
As you can see there is no exact rule to estimate the weight of a skiff boat . A 18 feet skiff boat can weigh 500 pounds, as well as 700 pounds.
This big difference is created by a lot of factors, but the most influential ones are the materials used and the furniture.
The material that is used to make the deck of the boat can have a major impact on the weight. A lot of manufacturers simply state that the floor is made out of wood, but there are multiple types of wood, and each type can weigh more or less. Or they say that it has vinyl, but the thickness of the vinyl can greatly influence the weight.
How Do I Find Out the Weight of My Skiff Boat?
As I said there is no proper way to estimate the weight of a skiff boat, the best and safest way is to check the website of the manufacturer, if they don’t produce the same model any longer don’t look at a similar one. A 2018 model won’t necessarily weigh as much as a 2021 model.
Instead you can simply call or email them. They always keep notes on the previous models for situations like these. They should be able to give you an exact answer without any problem.
Can My Car Pull My Skiff Boat?
If you are trying to figure out the weight of your skiff boat to make sure that your car can pull it, make sure that you add the weight of the trailer as well. Even if the trailer has wheels and can move, your car will still need to pull it. And in a lot of cases the trailer can weigh more than the boat itself.
If we go with the average of a skiff boat, of 5 pounds, add the weight of the fuel, luggage, water sport equipment, we get the approximate weight of 600 pounds. Now we have to add the trailer weight, so we will add an extra 600 pounds. We get a total of 1200 pounds.
Most cars should be able to pull this weight without any problem, but as a general idea your car should be able to pull at least 2000 pounds. If the limit of your car is 1200 you might find it very hard to handle the car.
How Many People Can a Skiff Boat Carry?
As I said in the beginning of the article that the average extra weight on a skiff boat will be around 400 pounds.
Knowing how much weight a boat can carry is just as important as knowing how much the boat weights.
The exact number can differ from boat to boat, but there is an average. And this average differs based on the length of the skiff boat.
On average a skiff boat between 16’ and 18’ can hold up to 3 passengers.
On average a skiff boat between 19’ and 21’ can hold up to 5 passengers.
On average a skiff boat between 22’ and 26’ can hold up to 7 passengers.
But this number can slightly differ depending on the weight of the boat, so make sure to check what the plates of the boat say, and don’t just assume that the average applies to your skiff boat.
If you don’t have the plates any more, lucky you can still calculate the exact number, here is how you can do it.
Calculating the Capacity of Your Skiff Boat
Here are steps that you have to take when you calculate the capacity of a skiff boat :
- Find volume in cubic feet
- Calculate the area: π × r(2)
- Multiply by length (in inches)
- Divide the cubic inches by 1728 (1728 is the cubic inches in a cubic foot 12 × 12 × 12)
Or you could use this simple calculator that will tell you the weight capacity by simply a couple values: Boat Capacity Calculator.
Final Thoughts
So the average weight of a skiff boat is 500 pounds, but if you add up everything that might be on the skiff boat you get to a weight around 600 pounds.
And if you want to see if your car can pull the skiff boat, don’t forget to add the weight of the trailer as well. The trailer will usually add another 600 pounds to the total weight.
And while you can estimate the weight of a skiff boat, if you are not 100% sure you can always give a call, or email the manufacturer, they always keep notes on all of their products.