2015 Yellowfin 17 Skiff

Yellowfin 17 Skiff: Light, Shallow-Draft Skiff for Bays, Flats and Backcountry Fishing

1. General Information

The Yellowfin 17 Skiff is a compact, technical shallow-water skiff from the American builder Yellowfin, best known for its fishing boats. It was designed for inshore and flats anglers who need to reach water that larger boats cannot, whether that means fly fishing, working live bait or sight-casting to tailing fish in skinny water. At 5.28 m overall with a 2.03 m beam, it is small enough to tow behind an ordinary vehicle and launch from a simple ramp, yet it is stable enough to be fished by two or three anglers.

Owners and reviewers describe it as a boat that can be poled across a flat in a few inches of water, then moved to deeper channels or the edge of a flat to hold position when larger fish such as tarpon are around. The model is now discontinued, and later 17-foot Yellowfin skiffs were built in a lighter Carbon Elite version.

2. Construction and Design

The hull is fibreglass (GRP), built with vinylester resin by infusion and reinforced with Kevlar, which keeps weight low while adding stiffness and impact resistance. A dry weight of about 272 kg means the skiff floats high and needs very little water, with a maximum draft of only 0.15 m (6 in), and it can be pushed with a pole as well as run under power.

Power comes from a single outboard, with a maximum rating of 115 hp. The fuel tank holds 83 L, which is ample for a day's inshore fishing on a boat of this size, and the CE Design Category D rating confirms that the boat is intended for sheltered waters such as bays, estuaries, rivers and lagoons.

3. Key Features

Very shallow draft: 0.15 m maximum draft for access to flats, backcountry creeks and marsh edges.

Light, strong hull: vinylester-infused fibreglass with Kevlar reinforcement and a dry weight of about 272 kg.

Single-outboard power: up to 115 hp, with an 83 L fuel tank.

Suited to poling: a poling platform and push pole were offered as options, making it a practical stalking boat for fly and light-tackle anglers.

CE category D: rated for sheltered waters, in line with its inshore role.

4. Summary

The Yellowfin 17 Skiff is aimed at anglers who value access over size. Its light Kevlar-reinforced fibreglass hull, 0.15 m draft and single-outboard package make it an effective saltwater flats and bay boat, and a good fit for a fishing guide, a fly-fishing specialist or a keen inshore angler who wants to reach water that heavier boats cannot.