Martin, I enjoyed meeting you and your daughter and glad you're written into this article. I didn't know much about Jersey Skiffs until my boss called me that morning. He said there are some beautiful boats at the boatramp on Black Creek and to get down there if I could. Fortunately I live just a couple miles away on Fleming Island and was able to interview some of the couples before they launched.

I remember it was a really hot morning and a great day for boating. Wish I could have taken a ride. Anyway, I took this group photo and did a little research on-line - cited a few of your websites too. Even saw a photo on your website of one of the skiffs on Black Creek the next day. It must be fun. Hope you enjoy this article and photo...Thanks, Wayne Spivey for Neighbor to Neighbor newspaper.

Restored Speed Boats

Jersey Skiffs on Black Creek
By Wayne Spivey
Staff Writer

A half dozen Jersey Skiffs - speedboats - were spotted at the Black Creek boat ramp at US-17 in mid-August. The New Jersey style boats were trying to "beat the heat" on one of their weekly club meetings and family outings on a very warm Saturday morning.

The Jersey Skiff is the sports car of family boating. They are sleek and fast; easy to identify with bold colors and a large JS painted on their sides. Unmistakably, a thrilling sight on Florida's many lakes and streams, as club members meet throughout the state.

Only about thirty-five of these two-passenger speedboats exist in Florida, said Terry and Mike Howick of Fruit Cove. "Rerun" is the name of their JS-27, one of the few found in north Florida. Their friends Terry Lewis and Tim Frame of Mt. Dora in JS-3 and Marty Ferry and daughter Amanda Blackman of Eustis in JS-30 joined others, as the antique looking speed boats cruised the St. Johns River and interior Clay County waterways up to Middleburg.

The typical sixteen-foot long wooden skiffs are hand made - often with reinforced mahogany and fiberglass. They have Chevy 350-cubic-inch auto engines that produce 430 horsepower and top speeds up to 90 miles per hour. A new boat may cost $35,000; used around $7,000, according to Lewis.

However, today's skiffs - without their roll cages and safety harnesses - have become restored pleasure boats. Many vintage drivers and mechanics still suit up with helmets and lifejackets to demonstrate what they used to look like on controlled racecourses. Another venue to enjoy these sleek looking speedboats is at the Antique and Classic Boat (ACBS) shows from Maine to the Florida Keys.

"S.K.I.F.F. (Special Class Intended For Fun) is a Florida based corporate club catering to the Jersey Skiffs. It's members are participants and organizers of Antique and Classic Boating Society, Vintage APBA events, and most recently Classic Race Boat Association events locally and around the country. These are fun shows with great people. We never fail to have a great time, burn a lot of gas and are a crowd-pleaser," according to their sporting web site at http://speedskiffs.com/questions.htm

On beautiful Black Creek the antique Jersey Skiffs are a nostalgic sight to see in the waning days of summer - a really cool ride to Middleburg.

Note: Photos and history of the 1980/81 era Jersey Skiff - 27 "Rerun" may be seen at [http://speedskiffs.com/re_run.htm]. Another helpful link may be found at [http://speedskiffs.com/useful_links.htm].



Photo Caption: Between "Jitterbug" and "Glory Days" these sleek Jersey Skiff owners cruised Black Creek and the St. Johns River, during August's lazy days of summer. Learn more about upcoming S.K.I.F.F. events, charity runs and view club photos on Black Creek at [http://speedskiffs.com/]