Sarah Ann

Fox replica, rowed across the Atlantic in 1897

Local vessel design is a funny business. Some boats are very specific to one area, but never change, while other designs start somewhere and then are adopted by the rest of the world with little change. Around the Navesink we have a boat design that is almost impossible to describe because it comes in so many versions, but at the same time is a true local design. Besides being a local design it also is famous for being the genesis of the modern powerboat as we know it today.

The original Sea Bright skiff was a surf launched small fishing craft. It was mostly rowed, but could also be sailed.

The hull shape developed from the early 1800's into a light and agile craft with a plank keel that gave it a flat bottom. While as a working craft it no longer exists, the actual design still exists as the well known surf launched life boat that is still used in lifeguard competitions on New Jersey beaches.

When engines started to become common in small craft, the Sea Bright Skiffs were amongst the first to participate in the powering experiment, and pretty soon thereafter it was discovered that the flat bottom plank keel of the skiffs and a square transom made a pretty good planing hull.

These skiffs then became popular as rumrunners during prohibition, and are sometimes referred to as sea skiffs.

While not that many sea skiffs are being built today, there are still quite a number of sea skiffs out there. The very best were about 28 to 32 feet long and were powered by gasoline engines. The last builders of this type were the Olsens and Pedersens in Keyport.

All the painting and varnishing is a lot of work, but if you want a boat that does everything well and the boat needs to be about 30 feet, it is hard to find a nicer boat than one of those sea skiffs.

For a ride on a sea skiff go to www.classicboatrides.com, where Captain Danny can arrange a ride for you on his 28 foot Olsen.

Of all the Sea Bright skiffs the most famous one is the FOX. This skiff was rowed from New York to England by two jersey shore fishermen in 1897 in 62 days! This record is still undefeated today. The original FOX is lost, but in 1975 the Long Branch Ice Boat & Yacht Club built a replica of the FOX and had their own adventures with this boat. This FOX replica is still with us and was one of the prime exhibits at the 2007 Rendez Vous.

While the FOX has real Sea Bright skiff pedigree she is a little different from the norm in being double ended rather than having a transom.

As far as the most authentic Sea Bright Skiff out there is concerned, we can only look at Bob Brummer's 1928 Seamans outboard skiff, "Sarah Ann". This skiff is the most original Sea Bright skiff out there and by any standard is a museum quality boat that would be a major attraction even in the small craft collection at Mystic Seaport.

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sea_Bright

Good description in WikiPedia