About 50 people attended Marc Epstein's presentation on the sailing sea bright dory at the NMHA April meeting.

The Sea Bright Dory built by Charles Hankins and others has been the legendary friend of lifeguards on the Eastern seaboard and arguable the most enduring design in US maritime history. But almost no one knows about the sailing version of the Sea Bright dory skiff. This robust, stable rowing and sailing skiff has many features that endeared her to rowers and sailors alike – stable in rough water, shallow draft in rivers and streams, and easy to rig and launch from beach or ramp. This design is over 150 years old and has a well-earned reputation among builders as well as boaters as a safe and efficient rowing and sailing craft.

Marc Epstein is the owner of a particular Sea Bright Sailing Skiff with a unique history – it was built by Charles Hankins at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC for the Folk Festival. For this design and his skills as a builder of traditional craft of historical significance for America, Charles Hankins was the only boatbuilder to be awarded a medal by the National Endowment for the Arts.

In 2001, a documentary film about the Sea Bright Sailing Dory and Charles Hankins was produced by NJN Television, and this film was presented as part of the presentation by Marc Epstein.

Sailing Sea Bright Skiff article