About the Film
The Sea Bright-style skiff dates back to the mid 1800s along the North Jersey Shore. Charles Hankins still hand-crafts these boats of New Jersey cedar and green oak, though they no longer serve as fishing vessels. He demonstrates the process of building the skiff, step by step. Dr. Peter Guthorn and other Jersey shoremen trace the history of the boat, from its use as a fishing boat to its service as a life-boat and a competitivie rowing skiff. The Sea Bright Skiff influenced the design of many boats to follow, as some styles evolved to carry motors and heavy cargo. Some served as rum-runners during Prohibition. Today, most of these skiffs are used by the lifeguard communities along the Jersey Shore as patrol boats.
