Session Handoff

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"

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.

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]

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.md relative 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."