A Sea Bright Skiff Model

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A Sea Bright Skiff Model..... by Edward R. Thieler III During the 1700s and 1800s the people of coastal New Jersey developed several kinds of small craft that are unique to the region.

1 A Sea Bright Skiff Model..... by Edward R. Thieler III During the 1700s and 1800s the people of coastal New Jersey developed several kinds of small craft that are unique to the region. The garvey, sneakbox, and melonseed were ideally suited to clamming, fishing, and waterfowl gunning in the extensive shallow bays behind the protective barrier islands. Challenging the surf on the exposed beaches required a more seaworthy design in response the Sea Bright NAUTICAL RESEARCH JOURNAL 129

skiff emerged. Construction of all of these boats benefited from the abundant cedars, oaks, and pines found in the Pine Barren forests bordering those bays.

2 skiff emerged. Construction of all of these boats benefited from the abundant cedars, oaks, and pines found in the Pine Barren forests bordering those bays. Historical Context For over one hundred years an active commercial fishery existed in the Atlantic Ocean off the barrier island beaches of the New Jersey coast. From 1845, when the fishery began with hand-lines and hooks cast from small skiffs, until 1961, when the last pound net gear and poles were removed from the ocean, the fishermensurfmen of New Jersey provided the teeming immigrant masses of New York City each year with hundreds of thousands of pounds of fish. As the need for fish increased, the equipment used to catch them evolved, including the family of boats the men used in the fishery. Although beach based fisheries existed along the entire coast of the state, from Raritan Bay in the north to Cape May in the south, most of the activity was concentrated in Monmouth County which, at the time, encompassed the northern half of coastal New Jersey. The eponymous town of Sea Bright did not exist at the beginning of the fishery but was founded later (in 1869) near the fishing community of Nauvoo. The Boats The first skiffs used on the New Jersey coast were probably imported from New York and included dories, oyster tonging skiffs, and variations of the Whitehall skiff used in the protected estuarine waters of Raritan Bay, New York Bay, and Jamaica Bay. By the early 1800s it became obvious that these small boats could not handle the challenges encountered in launching from, and returning to, the beach through the often daunting waves of the surf. The beach skiff that evolved to meet 130 Vol. 58, No 2 SUMMER 2013

3 the demands for survival in this high energy environment acquired a number of notable characteristics. A nicely curved stem profile flowing into full bow contours was ideally shaped to lift the bow over the oncoming waves going out, and to prevent it from submarining down a wave front when coming back, bow-to, to the beach. The boats had a well raked transom that directed a following wave to flow under the skiff and lift it rather than coming aboard. The full round bilge lines allowed for excellent stability and carrying capacity. When on the beach, the slightly rockered, broad plank-keel permitted the boat to rest upright without support and, when afloat, made it more maneuverable. In some the plank-keel was as wide as one-third the beam. One of the most notable characteristics was a marked sheer curve. This not only made the skiffs lovely to look at but also served to raise the bow and stern to meet and deflect the seas and lowered the waist to make boarding the catch more efficient. Rather than a plank skeg being nailed on as an afterthought, the skeg was built into the skiff bottom by twisting the garboard planks from their almost horizontal position at the mid-hull to vertical at the stem and at the stern post. The sternpost extended below the inside face of the transom and,fastened to the plank-keel, formed a knee. Most importantly, this built-down skeg provided directional stability. Additionally, it created a broader surface to help support the boat as it was hauled over the sand, and created a convenient sump to aid in bailing. It also made shaping and fitting the garboard plank an interesting and very challenging exercise. Considering the hard use the skiff would endure, construction was notably light and strong. Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) from the New Jersey pinelands, planked lapstrake fashion and fastened every few inches with copper NAUTICAL RESEARCH JOURNAL rivets or clenched nails made a strong, water-tight hull. In the early years this plank skin was supported with frames sawn out of natural white oak and cedar knees found at the tree root-trunk junction; steam-bent white oak ribs were used later. This construction left unsupported triangular voids between part of the plank faces and the frames or ribs. These spaces were filled in with blocks of wood curiously called codwads. Overall vessel strength was increased by the white oak used in the stem and sternpost, breast-hook, quarter knees, outer and inner gunwales, and cap rail. Thwarts were supported by substantial oak knees as well. Because Jersey cedar is quite strong and resilient for its weight and because the overlapped seams of lapstrake construction add considerable strength, the planks used in construction of these surf boats were remarkably thin. In the subject 24-foot skiff the plank keel was only 1-3/4 inches thick with the planking from only 5/8-inch stock. The transom was 1-3/4-inch cedar. Copper rivets spaced every three to four inches secured the edge of one plank to its neighbor and brass screws were used elsewhere. The centerboard, centerboard trunk, and thwarts were cedar also. The Fishery When the commercial fishery started in 1845 the first beach skiffs used were small; about 15 feet by 5 feet. These were manned by two men who pushed the boat out through the surf, then hopped in, perhaps helped by a third pusher who stayed ashore. The men aboard pulled the boat out through the surf with powerful oar strokes. They fished with hand lines baited with shiny metal lures and hooks that would be familiar to today s surf casting fishermen. Some skiffs were fitted for sailing farther off-shore. These had a small loose-footed main spritsail; a jib, often a 131

balanced jib bent to a club lashed to the stem head, a centerboard, and a steering sweep. Once the boat was through the surf, the mast was raised and the sails set.

4 balanced jib bent to a club lashed to the stem head, a centerboard, and a steering sweep. Once the boat was through the surf, the mast was raised and the sails set. On their return, if conditions were suitable, they were able to sail in through the surf. In a boat loaded with fish this must have been exciting to see and do. Otherwise, the mast and sails were furled, stowed in the bow, and the skiff rowed in either bow-to the beach (exciting) or stern-to the beach (safer). By the 1850s the demand for fish exceeded the hook-and-line supply and the net-fishery started to evolve. Floating gill nets set to drift farther off-shore made their way into the fishery, as did small pound nets set on poles closer to shore. These nets required larger boats, so skiffs measuring about 17 feet by 6 feet were built to the same design to meet the need for increased carrying capacity. By now, some boats were being launched by hauling them hand-over-hand along a rope anchored to a heavy pole set well down into the sand out beyond the surf zone. Although the first pound net was set in 1855 in sheltered waters, their general use in the harsh, high wave-energy environment of the coastal surf did not become practical until the early 1870s. Once the skills, equipment, and techniques became established, their presence increased dramatically along the coast over the next decades. At the height of the pound net fishery, during the 1920s to 1930s, there were about 125 pound nets along the New Jersey coast. Some of these extended a half mile from the shoreline out into the sea. By now the beach skiffs supporting these efforts had grown to about feet in length. Some of the bigger boats were manned by six rowers using 12-foot oars, with a captain in the stern guiding the vessel with a foot sweep. By the early 1900s reliable marine engines came to the Jersey shore and 30-foot boats were created to handle the increased power, with rudders 132 Vol. 58, No 2 SUMMER 2013

replacing steering oars. In a few fisheries, boats of 40-50 feet in length, of the same design and construction, found employment, but these usually did not enter the surf.

5 replacing steering oars. In a few fisheries, boats of feet in length, of the same design and construction, found employment, but these usually did not enter the surf. More effort was required to launch and retrieve them as the boats increased in size. In some cases a block was attached to an off-shore pole beyond the surf zone and men on the beach would catapult the skiff out through the surf by hauling on a tow-line reeved through the sheave. Later, horses did the hauling and, in the final days of the fishery, the very large boats were hauled out and in through the surf by caterpillar tractors. Once on the beach, the pushing and pulling was aided by planks laid on the sand over which the boat was rolled on wooden rollers. Other Equipment The skiffs themselves were not the only interesting element in this business. NAUTICAL RESEARCH JOURNAL The bulk of the fishing was done starting in the late spring, continued through the summer and fall, and ended about November. The winter and early spring weather and waves made any boating off-shore hazardous. The men were kept busy during the winter months harvesting ice from the local inshore lakes and bringing it to the beach dunes. There, holes some feet in diameter were dug deep into the sand and then covered with a high conical roof. Enough ice, insulated with salt-marsh hay and saw-dust, could be stored in these ice houses to last through the summer months. In later years ice-making factories came to the area and the need for the beach igloos disappeared. New Jersey is noted for the pine barrens that occupy much of the state s interior.the sandy, nutrient-poor soil supports a unique flora, including the pitch pines (Pinusrigida ) and other pines for which the region is named, the Atlantic 133

6 white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) proudly claimed as Jersey cedar by local boat builders, and a variety of oaks, especially white oak (Quercus alba).in addition to its usefulness in boat construction, white oak lends itself to weaving excellent, durable, baskets. Many residents of a number of pine-lands communities in the central part of the state formed small industrial complexes, and, using white oak splints, wove thousands of baskets to be used in agriculture as well as in the coastal fishing business. The baskets are 18 inches in diameter, 12 inches deep, and hold one bushel: about 50 pounds of fish. They were soaked in pine pitch before going to the fisheries. The cart-making industry profited from the fishery too. Two wheeled carts are almost as prominent a feature in photographs as beach skiffs. Their role was to carry fishing equipment down the beach to the boats and to carry baskets of fish, stacked in layers, back up the beach to be processed, iced, and shipped. Large four wheeled carts, pulled by teams of horses, and, later, by caterpillar tractors, supported the large pound net fishery in later years. Initially the loads of fish made their way to New York City on sloops and schooners, later on trains, and, finally, in the waning years in trucks. It is interesting to note that few fish went to other population centers, so near and so demanding was the New York market. Over the years some of the remote fishing camps became small, self sufficient communities that in turn became the coastal resort villages and towns of today. Other Uses The demise of the fishing industry did not completely ring the death knell for the Sea Bright skiff. The strong, light construction that served it so well in the surf made it adaptable to the needs of a number of other uses. Sixteen-foot cedar and oak lifeguard boats, built to the same design and scantlings as those fishing skiffs constructed in the 1800s, were built by a number of highly regarded boatwrights along the Jersey coast. Famed boatwright, Charles Hankins, of Lavallette, New Jersey built the last of them until just a few years ago. (Reference 1) Fiberglass life boats molded from wooden ones are still rowed out through the surf in New Jersey as summer time beach lifeguard rescue vessels. Many are raced in events such as the locally famed South Jersey Lifeguard Championships. The U.S. Life Saving Service, formally established in 1871, staged a larger variation of the skiff on the coastal beaches of the entire east coast to be man-hauled and horse-drawn on four-wheeled carriages to respond to ships blown ashore. After prohibition began in 1920, both the rum-runners and the Coast Guard fitted modified models with increasingly powerful multi-cylinder aircraft engines. The 16-foot high-powered Jersey Speed Skiff is raced on the east coast and is notable for being able to turn at high speed and rolling so high on its lapstrake side that the interior is visible to spectators on shore. Until fiberglass became the construction material of choice a number were built as very nicely appointed cruising yachts. The Models The Skiff I built the skiff model starting with the plans and table of offsets given by Howard I. Chapelle in American Small Sailing Craft. (Reference 2) Lofting at 1:12 scale provided the information needed to make the section molds, transom, stern- 134 Vol. 58, No 2 SUMMER 2013

7 post knee, stem, and other construction details necessary to set up the building mold. I used the cut-away building board technique described by Alan Frazer in the third of his four articles published in this Journal in 2003, and found all of them very useful in building this lapstrake boat. (Reference 5) The plank-keel, stern-post knee and transom, and inner stem were set up on the board, as dictated by the lofting, to complete the skiff mold backbone. I used the two piece method of building the stem; first landing planks on an inner stem, then trimming the plank ends, and finally adding the outer stem. I used a modification of the spiling technique Frazer described, starting on page 156. (Reference 5) I placed double-sided tape on drafting mylar and then stuck this to the mold. This provided a firm and fixed surface on which to draw the proposed plank and became a stiff pattern for tracing the derived shape onto the basswood plank material. NAUTICAL RESEARCH JOURNAL Rather than the clamping cord he recommended, I found that rubber bands were easier to use for clamping the strakes to the mold. (Reference 5, Figure 9) In the model, basswood planks replaced cedar, and fine grained spruce and fir substituted where oak would have been used in the real boats. Bamboo treenails represent screws and rivets. I glued all the joints with Titebond II. I like to collect old wood and use it in my models. Some years ago I was given some ancient fine-grained quarter-sawn cypress salvaged from dismantled pickle vats; the oars are made of that wood. The steering sweep is made of a cedar shingle thrown from the roof of an old building being restored at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. The spars are cedar salvaged from a tree struck by lightning. I made a miniature spar gauge to lay out the lines to eight-side the mast and sprit blanks after they were four-sided. (Reference 3) The remaining shaping was 135

8 done using scrapers made of 3-inch lengths of nesting brass tubes. Just as is done with woodworking scrapers, I file and burnish a bur on the inside circumference of the tube. I start by using the tube closest in size to the maximum diameter of the spar, when that area has been scraped to size the next smaller size tube scraper is used and so on until the spar is finished. This results in a round spar, and eliminates the oval cross-section often obtained by the usual sanding methods. The Baskets Never having had a basket weaving course, making the baskets became an enjoyable challenge.an internet site, basket weaving 101, gave more than enough information to get started. The trick was to split one of the splints crossing the bottom. After that it was easy. I had taken a number of measurements and photographs of existing baskets in museums to help in making an accurate replica. To assure the models were of uniform size I made them over a carved wooden mandrel. The Cart Building the wheels is the obvious challenge here. I found the most helpful information and description at The Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights of the City of London, England, founded in (Reference 15) One page had all the terminology and pictorial details I needed. I made scale drawings, dimensioned the wood, and then assembled the wheels using maple from old discarded library card-catalog drawers. After pegging and gluing the seven felloes (rim segments) for each wheel, I made lathe mounted tooling that I used to turn the rims; first the inner diameter, then the outer diameter and 136 Vol. 58, No 2 SUMMER 2013

9 NAUTICAL RESEARCH JOURNAL 137

10 thickness. I turned the naves (hubs) on my lathe and drilled the spoke holes in the rims using a homemade dividing head.the spokes were tapered using a sanding jig and then hand sanded to the proper oval crosssection shape.the tyres (metal tires) were made from old galvanized sheet metal, as were the hub bands. I clamped the metal strip in place on the wheel or hub and placed a rivet across a filed scarf joint to hold the dimension. The band was then removed from the wheel and the joint soldered. The resulting hoops fitted snuggly in place. The Figure Since I was unable to carve a recognizable human figure I looked for a modifiable doll. My wife finally found one in a big-box store. It is a plastic Mattel Toy Loving Family Dad ; he is 5 feet 11 inches tall. I was able to cut and position the limbs, glue them with cyanoacrylic glue, and then fill the voids with West System epoxy. I roughen the glossy surface with abrasive pads and painted with acrylic gesso and acrylic colors. The hat was molded over a carved form from tissue papier-maché and thinned yellow carpenter s glue. The form was coated with paraffin wax to prevent sticking. References 1 American Folklife Center Library of Congress, Local Legacies Celebrating Community Roots. A video available online in which famed builder Charles Hankins narrates as he builds a 16-foot beach life-guard Sea Bright Skiff. Also has footage of a sailing skiff, beach patrols launching and retrieving through the surf, pound net fishing, speed boats, and other 138 Vol. 58, No 2 SUMMER 2013

11 uses do not miss this marvelous film. An excellent supplement to Guthorn s book. 2 Chapelle, Howard I., American Small Sailing Craft. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., Inc., I drew the plans and lofting using the offsets and notes given on pages and Figure 33, Old beach skiff, northern New Jersey and New York Bay Seabright model. Note on plans: New York Bay Skiff, taken off , Boatbuilding. New York: W. W. Norton & Co. Inc., 1941.How to make a spar gauge and shape spars from pages and Figure Frazer, Alan D., Modeling an Adirondack Guide Boat. Nautical Research Journal, 28: 3 (September 1982): , The St. Lawrence River Skiff, Part One,Nautical Research Journal 48: 1 (Spring 2003), 29-34; Part Two, Nautical Research Journal 48: 2 (Summer 2003), l Part Three, Nautical Research Journal 48: 3 (Fall 2003), ; Part Four, Nautical Research Journal 48: 4 (Winter 2003), The Frazer articles contain a number of techniques helpful when building these types of lapstrake hulls. The model was constructed using modifications of some of these techniques. 6 Guthorn, Peter J., The Sea Bright Skiff and other Jersey Shore Boats. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, The most complete historical source; it discusses the fisheries, boat construction, builders, varieties of skiff, and other items associated with Sea Bright skiffs. It also contains chapters on the Barnegat Bay sneakbox, rail bird gunning NAUTICAL RESEARCH JOURNAL 139

12 skiffs, and other New Jersey work boats. 7 JerseySpeedSkiffs.com.The unofficial web site of the organization. Not updated in several years but has some terrific action photos and individual boat histories. 8 Klebold, Ferdinand F., Pound Fishing Bay Head to South Seaside Park, New Jersey. Manahawkin: Surf Printing, Contains a large collection of photographs and text. 9 Monmouth Beach Cultural Center, Monmouth Beach, NJ. Has a large collection of photographs and recollections, and some nice models associated with the fishery. The Center is housed in restored Life Saving Station #4. 10 New Jersey Museum of Boating, Bay Head, NJ. Has a 1902 Jerolemon skiff (also Jerolamar and other spellings). On a visit to the museum I retrieved a thick, multilayered exfoliated piece of paint from the inside of their Jerolemon Skiff. Careful sanding away of the layers showed, from present to original; light green, yellow, orange, tan, gray. 11 Robinson, Robby. The Sea Bright Skiff A Big Little Boat. WoodenBoat Magazine, #109 (November-December 1992), 40. Good content and excellent drawings explaining construction of the two types of skiff bottom box keels; also some helpful historical photographs. 12 Sim, Robert J. Pages from the Past of Rural New Jersey.Trenton, New Jersey: New Jersey Agricultural Society, Photograph of Andy Brown with his cart taken about (Personal communication, July, 2010, with Lorna Chadwick Shinn, who knew Andy and bought produce from this cart.) 13 Smithsonian Art Collection: Fishermen Unloading a Boat, Sea Bright, New Jersey, by Louis Comfort Tiffany, This picture taken by the stained glass wizard has all elements of the early fishery; the boat, cart loaded with fish, a basket, and the hardy fishermen. On the beach the clump of line with wooden block buoy hides a fisherman type anchor. /artwork/?id= Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen s Museum, Tuckerton, New Jersey.Recently completed an exhibit depicting the later days of the pound net fishery The Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights of the City of London, England. The sketch and text make wheel construction easily understandable. Acknowledgements Howard H. Hughes. A master machinist, Howard has made, and taught me how to make, a number of model parts. He supervised my efforts in making the tooling used to turn the wheel rims. Mary May. I tried a number of basket weaving woods with mixed results until I met Mary May, an outstanding New Jersey basket weaver, historian, and teacher of the craft of New Jersey Pine Barrens basket weaving. She gave me some pointers and some black ash splints (Fraxinusnigra), the perfect wood for this project. Her web site has very helpful instructional videos and historical information Vol. 58, No 2 SUMMER 2013

Making Spars for the Schooner Jeanette

Making Spars for the Schooner Jeanette..... by Byron Rosenbaum Figure 1. Byron Rosenbaum s 1:16-scale radio-controlled model of the schooner Jeanette. All photographs by the builder. The spars required