Building a Plywood-Epoxy Sea Bright Skiff

Peter Murray

Reuel Parker designed and built a lightweight plywood-epoxy 13′ Sea Bright Skiff that could be hoisted in davits yet would be a versatile tender for his 53′ cruising sailboat, a capable rowing boat, and a good sailer.

History of the Sea Bright Skiff

Sea Bright Skiffs evolved on the beaches of northern New Jersey during the 19th century. Originally conceived as beach-launched fishing boats, they were first recorded around 1845 at Nauvoo, near today’s Sea Bright, just south of Sandy Hook on the state’s northern shore. Their lapstrake-planked hulls were light, strong, and ideally suited to their purpose. The builders used air-dried local woods, usually northern white cedar planking over steam-bent white-oak frames, though some small boats were known to have been framed with sawn cedar roots.

The skiffs had an unusual design feature: rockered, hollow-box keels, which allowed the hulls to be easily turned around on the beach during launching and retrieval. The wide, flat keel planks assured that the skiffs would remain upright and that bilgewater would drain to a low point just forward of the sternsheets, where it could be bailed easily.

Because the boats were launched and retrieved through breaking surf, they had to have hull forms that would make them light, buoyant, and stable in rough water. With the sail and sprit bundled and overhanging the transom, one man at the oars rowed out beyond the surf, where the mast was stepped and the sail unfurled. They had small centerboards but were originally steered with an oar set in a notch in the transom that was also used for sculling.

They soon became famous for their seaworthiness, especially after being adopted by beach-based lifeboat stations along the New Jersey shores, where they were lauded as the most seaworthy of all small craft. The boats were later adapted for use by pound-net fishermen, Prohibition-era rumrunners, and finally sport-fishermen.

The largest types gradually disappeared around the 1950s. The last builder of the original lapstrake surf boats was Charles Hankins & Sons in Lavallette, about 30 miles south of Sea Bright. On some East Coast beaches, Sea Bright Skiffs and South Jersey Beach Skiffs, albeit fiberglass versions, are still in use by lifeguards today.

I have been fascinated by these excellent small craft for many years and have designed nearly two dozen boats inspired by them ranging from 10′ to 50′ LOA for sail and power alike. For design research, my principal sources have been Howard I. Chapelle’s American Small Sailing Craft, Peter J. Guthorn’s The Sea Bright Skiff and other Shore Boats, a few contemporary photographs, and the archives of Mystic Seaport Museum.

The Chapelle book includes the lines of a 23′ 8″ model from New York, and Guthorn shows no lines of any skiffs until well into the 20th century. Mystic Seaport has a large Sea Bright Skiff in its collections, a boat used for lifesaving in Lavallette that was built and donated by Charles Hankins. However, her lines have never been taken off. Chapelle also included lines of a 16′ 7″ South Jersey Beach Skiff, which is a very close cousin to the Sea Bright model. According to Guthorn, the original Sea Bright Skiffs were about 15′ long, with 5′ beams.

Building the Sea Bright Skiff

I had designed, built, and sailed two Sea Bright models for myself: a 14-footer (see WoodenBoat No. 230), and my 50′ cruising ketch T’IEN HOU. In 2020, I wanted a smaller boat—13′ overall—as a seaworthy tender and lifeboat for my 53′ deadrise cruising motorsailer, PEREGRINE. A boat of that length would be the largest I could practically carry in PEREGRINE’s side davits, and the size was not much smaller than some of the original Sea Bright Skiffs. I built the boat over two summers at my shop in Brooklin, Maine, after returning from my winter harbor in Florida.

Reuel B. Parker

Lines Plan

I originally designed a multichined hull but decided to revise it for glued-lap plywood construction, making the boat not only lighter but also better looking. As part of the design, I developed full-sized bulkhead patterns.

Reuel B. Parker

Construction plan.

Traditional lapstrake construction may be my all-time favorite boatbuilding method, but the realities of using the boat extensively in the heat of the tropics—as well as weight considerations—persuaded me to build with high-grade, lightweight, marine plywood, using a combination of okoume, meranti, and Douglas-fir.

For form, strength, and flotation, I designed my hull around watertight bulkheads. The hull is frameless, which is an advantage that plywood construction has over traditional planking. Solid planks are relatively weak across the grain, which necessitates the use of frames. Plywood, on the other hand, is equally strong in all directions, and the use of bulkheads for structure obviates the need for conventional frames, making the interior easy to clean and maintain.

I printed out full-sized patterns for the bulkheads (photo 1) and used a tailor’s pattern wheel to trace them onto 6mm plywood panels by piercing through the pattern. Then I cut them out on a bandsaw to their final profiles.

To minimize waste of plywood stock, I made knees from 9mm okoume plywood to extend above the top edges of the 6mm bulkheads, which define the thwart boxes (photo 2). Only the forwardmost bulkhead extends to full height. The knees, which overlap the bulk-heads for strength, support the upper planks and washboards. I glued them in place before setting up the bulkheads on a strongback. I marked both sides of all bulkheads with centerlines and waterlines to aid in alignment; two of them were made in halves, as shown, in way of the centerboard trunk.

I made support stanchions from full-dimension 1×2s and set them up on the strongback to support the bulkheads. I carefully aligned them to each other, plumb and level. I made the inner stem from two laminates of 1⁄2″-thick MDO plywood and set it up true to the framework.

I made the bottom panel, which serves as a keel, from 1⁄2″-thick marine plywood and epoxied it in place over the bulkheads (photo 3). Its two halves were reinforced with an inside butt block positioned between the bulkheads of a thwart box, where it would be out of sight. The transom, made of 1⁄2″ MDO, was also carefully placed, then fastened and glued to the keel plank.

Before installing the garboards, I made the sheer clamps, visible at the left of the strongback in photo 4, of two layers of 1⁄2″ × 1 1⁄2″ Douglas-fir and laminated them in place. The carlins for the washboards, or side decks, which are the pieces inboard of the sheer clamps, are 3⁄8″ × 1 1⁄2″. I epoxy-glued and fastened these components using pneumatically driven 18-gauge stainless-steel brads. So stabilized, the setup was ready for planking.

For the garboard strakes and the so-called “box garboards” that form the sides of the box keel aft, I used 6mm okoume plywood because these planks are more vulnerable to abrasion than the others. The bottom-most edges of the box garboards were glued and fastened to the keel plank. Their upper edges land on the garboards to form a reverse chine, and I reinforced those joints on the exterior with large fillets of thickened epoxy.

Planking proceeded rapidly after the garboards were in place. To save weight, I made all of these upper planks of 4mm okoume except the sheerstrakes, which, like the garboards, are 6mm okoume. I cut my planks oversized and put them in place one-by-one to trace their final cut lines, using a stiff batten to establish fair curves. I used a marking gauge (photo 5) to scribe the extent of the bevels along the plank edges.

I also used the marking gauge to lay out the gains, the gradually tapering bevels at the hood ends that allow the surfaces of the planks to be flush to one another at the stem. I shaped the gains with a sharp rabbet plane.

Instead of scarfing plank sections together, I used butt blocks to save labor, making sure they would end up out of sight inside box thwarts. I epoxy-glued the plank laps and fastened them with stainless-steel brads (photo 6). After the epoxy cured, I pulled the brads out from inside, through the planking, and epoxy-puttied the holes.

I faired the plank-edges where necessary using a rabbet plane, lightly beveled the edges with a block plane and sandpaper, and made small-radius fillets of thickened epoxy along the outer plank laps.

The last thing I did before turning the hull over was to laminate the outer stem in place (photo 7). This consisted of three layers of Douglas-fir, each 1⁄4″ × 1 1⁄2″, laminated with epoxy and fastened in place with stainless-steel brads. I was careful to keep the brads well away from the edges so they wouldn’t be in the way of shaping and fairing the stem with a block plane after the glue cured.

Despite the fact that a great deal of work remained to be done on the exterior of the hull, I was eager to turn it over and begin fitting out the interior. I climbed under the hull and disconnected the bulkheads from the strongback, then raised and blocked the hull slightly and pulled the strongback out. The strongback then became a workbench to support the righted hull (photo 8).

Part of the joy of building lightweight small craft is that turning them over is very easy; it can be done as often as desired. For convenience, I set up two single blocks suspended from rafters, with a continuous rope loop in each. Passing these around the hull, as shown, made turning the hull effortless.

The next step was to sand and clean the interior. Globs of glue needed to be chipped out and voids filled. I also made fillets of thickened epoxy on the planking-to-bulkhead joints, plank laps, the undersides of the sheer clamps, and all the other joints. I cut strips of fiberglass tape (photo 9) to cover all the seams inside the hull that either needed reinforcing or protection from standing water. I also cut pieces of Xynole-polyester fabric to cover the inside faces of the keel and garboards to protect them from abrasion, foot traffic, and standing water.

This photograph also shows the single deckbeam, which I made from 1⁄2″ MDO plywood. I made the mast partner assembly from 9mm okoume plywood and installed it between the first bulkhead and the deckbeam. (The maststep and breasthook are balanced on top here, awaiting installation.)

The maststep (photo 10) was cut from 2×6 stock, and I used a holesaw to bore the mortise in it. A groove across the bottom of the step allows water drainage. I made the breasthook of 1⁄2″ marine plywood and glued and fastened it in place (photo 11).

Segments of 1⁄2″ PVC pipe allow water passage through each side of the box thwarts, which are watertight and double as flotation chambers (photo 12). The pipes allow all water to accumulate at a common low point, avoiding the nuisance of having to bail or sponge water from three separate wells created by the two box thwarts. When the boat is raised in davits, I pull a plug out of a hole at the lowest point in the hull to allow spray and rain to drain.

Note the slot in the aft bulkhead at the top of the photograph and the post fitted to the forward one, making ready for the centerboard trunk installation. The centerboard slot extends under the box thwarts, but the trunk sides keep water out of them.

I made the centerboard trunk sides from 6mm okoume plywood, which I attached to nominal 1×2 posts at each end (photo 13). I made the cap in two parts: the first was a strip of 4mm plywood inside the trunk, and the second an additional, wider strip on top.

I covered the box thwarts and stern-sheets with 1⁄4″ marine plywood, after epoxy-coating all hidden interior compartments. I laid a 1⁄4″ Douglas-fir plywood deck forward, between the deckbeam and the bulkhead supporting the mast partner, to create a storage space that would be somewhat protected from rain, spray, and sunlight. It is sheathed in Xynole set in epoxy.

I used 3mm meranti plywood for the side decks, or washboards, in way of the cockpit. To maintain a continuous sheerline, I also glued narrow strips of 3mm meranti plywood on the tops of the sheer clamps forward of the deck and on top of the breasthook.

Inboard of the washboard carlins and along the aft edge of the deckbeam, I made mahogany coamings. These extend only half the length of the cockpit; the starboard one being installed in this photo shows the curved transition at its aft end. I left the after parts of the washboards flat, without coamings, so that I could sit on them when hiking out.

On the exterior sheerline, I added 5⁄16″-thick Douglas-fir rubrails flush with the top surface of the decking (photo 14). In the forepeak, I installed a plywood well deck as a place to stow an anchor, rode, and lines, with scuppers through the planking to drain water.

My mast and sprit are of Douglas-fir, cut on a tablesaw and then shaped with a power plane, followed by a power sander with a soft pad, then an orbital sander, and finally hand-sanding (photo 15). I epoxy-coated them before putting on four coats of high-gloss poly-urethane varnish and painting the tips white.

With the woodwork and construction details complete, I tackled the sanding, priming, painting, hardware, sailmaking, oar-making, and rigging. The first project was to apply Xynole-polyester fabric set in epoxy below the waterline, as shown, and to epoxy-saturate the topsides (photo 16).

To paint the exterior, I first lightly sanded the topsides and then applied an epoxy sanding primer over the whole hull. After the primer set, I used an orbital sander with 180-grit on the plank faces and carefully hand-sanded the lapstrake edges. Then I masked off the bottom and sprayed two finish coats of polyurethane topcoat on the topsides. After that set, I applied two coats of copper-based antifouling paint to the bottom (photo 17).

Next came the interior paint and non-skid. First, I sprayed the hull interior with sanding primer, then carefully sanded, beginning with 120-grit and ending with 180-grit. I masked off all the nonskid areas on the thwart tops and the sole (photo 18) and also on the foredeck.

I sprayed on a polyurethane topcoat everywhere except where I had masked off. After removing the masking tape and sanding off any overspray, I rolled epoxy primer onto the remaining areas, then sprinkled on fine sand using a giant salt shaker. Before allowing the primer to cure, I vacuumed off all the loose sand and applied a second coat of primer to coat the sand, followed by two coats of poly-urethane applied using a roller.

I made four mahogany pads for my oarlock sockets and bolted them through the washboards and additional mahogany blocking underneath (photo 19). I used bronze sockets through-bolted in place, with additional fastenings from underneath through the blocking to further secure the mahogany pads. There are times when I need to row hard in high winds and rough seas, so I like very sturdy sockets.

I also installed hardware, including the bronze rudder gudgeons, a stainless-steel eyebolt in the stem to receive a 20′ nylon three-strand painter, and bronze cleats on the deck forward and on the washboards in the stern quarters. The forward cleat is through-bolted to the mast partner; the stern ones fasten into the sheer clamps. The stern cleats receive docklines, and when sail-ing they secure a rope traveler for the mainsheet.

I found used synthetic firehose online and purchased enough to install gunwale guards fastened with stainless-steel oval-head screws and finish washers set every 3″. A polyester line trapped inside helped to add bulk to them.

I made the centerboard from a 2×10 plank, shaping it to a foil and giving it a hollowed-out depression for a few pounds of lead to overcome its buoyancy. I sheathed it with Xynole set in epoxy, adding additional layers to the aft lower corner to resist abrasion (photo 20). To receive the 3⁄8″-diameter pivot pin, I made a bushing from synthetic tubing set in epoxy. I made two stainless-steel L-brackets to hold the pin. The long leg of each bracket is fastened to the hull bottom with two screws; the short leg, which has a hole to receive the pivot pin, extends up inside the trunk.

In use, the pin is inserted in the hole in the board, the brackets are fitted over the pin, and this assembly slips into the centerboard slot. Once in place, the screws are driven to hold the brackets in place. I used this method to avoid having a pivot pin in an inaccessible location inside the forward box thwart.

A stainless-steel strap let in to one side of the centerboard receives the centerboard’s lanyard.

My kick-up rudder is made from 6mm plywood side pieces held apart by blocking (photo 21), so that the 12mm rudder blade can be inserted between the sides. The hole for the pin on which the rudder blade pivots is visible in the photo.

I power-planed the rudder blade to a basic foil shape and sheathed it in Xynole set in epoxy, with an extra layer along the bottom edge for abrasion resistance (photo 22). I made plywood cheeks to contain the tiller and a tiller extension, which I made from Douglas-fir.

The Sea Bright 13 tows well when appropriate, and her light weight—which I estimate at about 90 lbs—makes her easy to hoist in the davits (photo 23). The bolts that are visible low on the outside edges of the transom on each side secure lifting rings, with a line, visible in the photo, running between them. The single forward lifting ring is attached to the inner stem.

With her four flotation chambers distributed evenly throughout the hull, she also serves as a life-boat with more than adequate flotation for four people, even when flooded. I always carry a gallon of water, a bailing scoop, a large sponge, a flashlight at night, a towel, and a small anchor—plus life jackets for everyone on board.

Sea Bright 13 Particulars

LOA: 13′ 1″
Beam: 4′ 2″
Draft: 6 1/2″
Mast height: 10′
Sprit length: 10′

Sea Bright Sail Plan

This boat has a simple spritsail. The minimal rigging all consists of 5⁄16″ three-strand Dacron line. I bought 4-oz Dacron sailcloth and built the sail myself.

The halyard passes through a nock in the masthead and makes off to a small cleat at the front of the mast. The snotter line at the heel of the sprit is a simple sling; the peak cringle fits to a shoulder carved into the tip of the sprit. The main-sheet rope traveler receives a free-running block and is made off to the cleats in the stern quarters. That block, in turn, is made off to a second block with a becket. The mainsheet is made off to that becket, reeves through a block at the sail’s clew, and returns to reeve through the upper block at the traveler and then to the skipper’s hand.

To furl the sail, the traveler is first removed from the quarter cleats and the sail folded in half by taking the clew to the mast. Next, the sprit is pushed to vertical and the sail is wrapped tightly around the mast. Tying the rope traveler around the furled sail keeps it secured as a bundle that can be lifted out of the boat. The rig can then be lashed to the holes in the thwart knees, or it can be taken aboard the larger boat and lashed to the lifelines.

My oars are 7′ 6″ long and made of ash. Follow this guide to make your own 7′ oars. I use round bronze oarlocks exclusively. They stay on the oars as you bring them in when you come along-side a yacht’s topsides, sparing gouges in the paint. The oar cannot accidentally “jump” out of a round oarlock. They can also be cable-locked to a thwart knee in high-theft areas, they’re virtually unbreakable, and they aren’t likely to be lost or fall overboard.

Rowing and Sailing the Sea Bright 13

After cruising from Maine to Florida using the Sea Bright 13 as my tender, I am happy to report that she is a delight to row—fast and stable—and equally fun to sail. I’ve used her as a dive tender, re-entering by grasping the transom with both hands, kicking with flippers to pull myself up, and turning to sit on the transom before sliding down onto the stern-sheets.

Under sail, the hull is very easily driven and ghosts along under the lightest breeze. In strong winds, I sit on her washboards with the sheet in one hand and the hiking stick in the other. The skiff is fast, exciting, and a joy to sail.

Reuel Parker of Parker Marine is a yacht designer, boat-builder, and regular contributor to WoodenBoat and Professional BoatBuilder. A lifelong cruising sailor, he divides his time among Maine, Florida, and the Bahamas. He sells a wide variety of plans for his designs, including numerous variations on Sea Bright Skiffs, large and small, for both sail and power.

Note: Although this article may provide adequate information to guide an experienced boatbuilder, the boat’s full plans—including full-sized bulkhead patterns—are available from the author.