shipyard-handoff
Skill66 starsChanged 5 months agoMITView on GitHub
Captures session context into .shipyard/HANDOFF.md so the next session can resume without losing progress. Use when the user says "handoff", "save context", or "I'm done for now", or when a long session ends and its state should be recorded.
In this repository20 other files it gives its agents.
- AGENTS.mdAGENTS.md
- CLAUDE.mdCLAUDE.md
- code-simplificationSkill
- documentationSkill
- git-workflowSkill
- import-spec-fileSkill
- import-specSkill
- infrastructure-validationSkill
- lessons-learnedSkill
- parallel-dispatchSkill
- security-auditSkill
- shipyard-brainstormingSkill
- shipyard-debuggingSkill
- shipyard-executing-plansSkill
- shipyard-tddSkill
- shipyard-testingSkill
- shipyard-verificationSkill
- shipyard-writing-plansSkill
- shipyard-writing-skillsSkill
- using-shipyardSkill
The file
We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent
1 rule. About 0 are common, 0 are distinctive, and 1 is very specific to this project.
≈0
Common · estimate
Many files like this have a rule of this kind.
≈0
Distinctive · estimate
This author's own choices. Worth a look.
1
Very specific
Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.
- Common
- Distinctive
- Very specific
- Very specific: line 33
Write .shipyard/HANDOFF.md with exactly these five sections in order:
≈ “Common” is an estimate: at least 1 in 5 of the 350,495 skill files we read have a rule of the same kind, not the same words. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.
Files
<!-- TOKEN BUDGET: 80 lines / ~240 tokens -->Session Handoff
<activation>When to Use
- User says "handoff", "hand off", "transfer session", "save context", or "I'm done for now"
- User is ending a session and wants context preserved for the next session
- A long work session is wrapping up and state should be recorded
Natural Language Triggers
- "handoff", "hand off", "transfer session", "save context", "I'm done for now"
</activation>Overview
Capture the current session's progress into .shipyard/HANDOFF.md so the next session can resume immediately with full context. The orchestrator writes the file directly — this is never delegated to a sub-agent.
I'm using the handoff skill to capture session context.
<instructions>The Process
Write .shipyard/HANDOFF.md with exactly these five sections in order:
1. Current Task
What was being worked on at handoff time. Be specific: which file, which feature, which plan task.
2. Approach
The strategy or design being followed. Include key decisions already made so the next session doesn't re-litigate them.
3. Tried
What has been attempted and the outcomes — both successes and failures. Include error messages or unexpected behaviors observed.
4. Remaining
Concrete next steps not yet done. List as actionable items, ordered by priority.
5. Open Questions
Unresolved decisions or blockers that need human input or further investigation.
File Format
## Current Task
[What was being worked on]
## Approach
[Strategy and key decisions]
## Tried
[What was attempted and results]
## Remaining
[Concrete next steps]
## Open Questions
[Unresolved decisions or blockers]</instructions><rules>Key Principles
- Orchestrator writes the file — never delegate to a sub-agent; sub-agents frequently fail to write output files
- File path is always
.shipyard/HANDOFF.mdrelative to the project root - All five sections are required — do not omit any section, even if the content is "none"
- Be concrete — vague handoffs are useless; include file paths, line numbers, error text where relevant
- After writing, confirm to the user: "HANDOFF.md is ready. The next session will automatically pick it up when it starts."
</rules>Does it work?
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Your trail
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