A flexible skirt-cell system is provided for a hovercraft having a propulsion system mounted to interface with water and a flexible skirt having an upper flexible panel section and a lower flexible finger section. The panel section extends around the bow, stern and two sides of the hovercraft hull and the finger section extends around the hull below the panel section and is connected to the panel section from a forward-abeam location and forward along the two sides and across the bow. Fans create pressurized air that is fed through air ducts to form a pressurized air cushion that supports the hovercraft. Interconnected flexible cells are connected between the panel and finger sections from the forward-abeam locations rearward to the stern. Additional air ducts pass pressurized air from the fan units to inflate the cells, thereby elevating the stern and raising the propulsion system above the water.