Desert Skiff

A general utility vehicle designed for transporting cargo and passengers, modified by Jabba the Hutt for use in his criminal activities on Tatooine. Jabbas henchmen piloted multiple skiffs while raiding nearby settlements, and the craft always escorted the crime lords sail barge on his pleasure cruises. Luke Skywalker turned Jabba' desert skiffs into a battleground during the rescue of Han Solo, destroying one of the vehicles and stealing another as he and his allies made their escape.

Although there are numerous variations on the standard skiff design, a typical skiff has an open deck with a simple control station near the rear. Almost anyone can learn to pilot a skiff, and the vehicles are often controlled by labor droids.

Most skiffs utilize a single repulsorlift engine for propulsion, and are controlled by a pair of steering vanes connected to the rear of the hull. Over 100 tons of cargo can be loaded onto the flat deck by magnetic lifters. During transport, cargo is restrained by magnetic fasteners. On some worlds, skiffs are also used as mass transit vehicles or even pleasure craft; in these instances, up to sixteen seats can be installed on the deck.

While they receive heavy use throughout the universe, skiffs fair poorly in combat conditions because they lack armor, heavy weaponry, and maneuverability. However, due to their simple structure, skiffs can be easily modified. Small mounted weapons can be attached to the deck, although these seldom make a difference in combat. Jabba also had extendable gangplanks installed on his skiffs to allow him to feed the Sarlacc with ease.

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