My experience, traveling to China, Hong Kong, and/or Korea each summer
for the last 12 years, is that recreational boats are a very rare site.
Most years I don't see any. I was fortunate this past Summer to be
just a few miles away from the venue for the Beijing Summer Olympics,
and was delighted to be at a hotel that had numerous sailboats
available for rental at the beach across the way, but this is a big
exception. (and I was impressed the locals are very skilled at getting
them moving amazingly fast in the prevailing light air)

In regards to Hong Kong, the extreme traffic (fishing boats), cramped
marina's (boats rafted 20 deep), and polution in the waters around Hong
Kong would seem to discourage recreational boats except for the
extremely determined, especially sailboats sans auxillarys (unless you
enjoy tacking 30 times per hour).

Not familiar with that Yacht club you mentioned, maybe you should
really check it out first rather than later.

Dan

I spent a number of years in the orient and while there, investigated many
boat builders from Thailand to Korea. Although my experience today is dated,
I believe the following observation is just as valid today as it was then.

The advantage in asia is only labor with some price differences in wood, but
nowhere as much as you would think. Please remember that the cost of the
hull is, at the very most, representative of about 25% of the total cost of
the boat. The majority of the boat cost is the fit out and the associated
machinery. Very little is made there and must be imported from Europe and
Australia. In addition, the biggest issue is the quality of the work
performed and the materials used. Futhermore, it is almost impossible to
find properly seasoned timber, unless you do it yourself. In my mind, it
makes no sense to buy a boat that you cannot afford to maintain because the
boat is falling apart while you watch. There is no such thing as a free
lunch. If building there was so much of an advantage, you would see a lot
more asian boats than you do.
Steve


wrote in message
ups.com...
Hello Everyone,

I've built a couple of inboard power boats over the years, but my last
running one is in the Lake Champlain area of Vermont, and starting
this August I will be living in Shekou, near Shenzhen and Hong Kong,
in China. I would like to communicate with anyone in this part of
China (South China sea)..

I am finishing up 3 years living on the Mediterranean, and kicking
myself mightily for not getting SOME kind of boat on the water!

Looking on Google Earth, I see a thousand or more fishing boats and
utility boats that I estimate are from 20 to 40 feet. I'm NOT talking
about those guys over at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club :-)

I need to start to learn about the existing boats in this area of
China. I am getting a few hits and photos but not much detail yet.

I have heard that some of the best high-end yachts have been built in
Hong Kong, and that there is a long tradition of seaworthy boats built
in China, from large 'Junks' to many smaller kinds.

I would appreciate any pointers or suggestions about information on
the typical boats today in China, and any contacts you might suggest.

Regards, Terry King ...On The Mediterranean in Carthage

Jay, Dan, Steve, others... Thanks for the comments and new
information!

I'm sure you're right that there's nothing magical about building
boats in China. But you probably know about the "Gotta Do Something
With Boats! syndrome!

I'm kicking myself blue for spending almost 3 years (by next May)
right on the Mediterranean near the 2000 year old ports built by the
Carthaginians and Romans and NOT getting a boat out there!

I AM getting SOME boat on the water when I move to Shekou/Shenzhen
near Hong Kong next August!

If I was going to live there 'permanently' (Whatever THAT is in the
year 2007 !) I would build a boat from scratch, using 'modern'
materials and an engine conversion. But that would take 1 to 1.5
years, depending on (Stuff).. The last boat I built (21' Cuddy Cabin,
350 GM, VeeDrive) is still running after 28 years, so I understand
about maintaining a boat. But this time, maybe I'm going in a TOTALLY
different direction.

- Really rough-built larger (30 to 50 feet) fishing boat, all wood,
indigenous materials and construction, probably going to deteriorate
badly in 5 to 10 years. Add a decent different cabin setup.
- Re-Engine in a less-than-ideal homebrew fashion.
- Add my favorite homebrew electronics (Low-end Garmin, Laptop or
MicroATX, OziExplorer, LCD display). I already have a detailed
Satellite view of Shenzhen / Deep Bay calibrated.
- Fill the picnic cooler. Run it.
- 3 Years or so later, move back to Vermont, fix my old boat in my new
Barn, maybe build a new one I have been designing for a while..

Ok, maybe that's a LITTLE simplistic. But you know what? There are
5000 boats running in that area, and I don't see any that look like
what I see in the USA. I think there only two ways to go: One is try
to afford a Westernized type boat, maybe rebuild a wreck or something,
and the other is to go all the way to the local rough boats. I don't
see anything workable in between. And I AM working on boats and
getting on the water.

So, what's stupid about this??

On 29 Jan 2007 01:13:34 -0800, "
wrote:

Jay, Dan, Steve, others... Thanks for the comments and new
information!

I'm sure you're right that there's nothing magical about building
boats in China. But you probably know about the "Gotta Do Something
With Boats! syndrome!



Much snipped

Ok, maybe that's a LITTLE simplistic. But you know what? There are
5000 boats running in that area, and I don't see any that look like
what I see in the USA. I think there only two ways to go: One is try
to afford a Westernized type boat, maybe rebuild a wreck or something,
and the other is to go all the way to the local rough boats. I don't
see anything workable in between. And I AM working on boats and
getting on the water.

So, what's stupid about this??


Nothing wrong with your ideas and what you are talking about has been
done in Hong Kong for years.

There are a substantial number of junks that were converted, to a more
or lesser degree from fishing boats. Two I looked at in Singapore a
few months ago, that had been shipped from Hong Kong -- all teak -
probably 10 - 15 years old. One powered by a Gardner 6 cylinder marine
engine and the other by a converted truck engine. These boats were
about 50 ft. long and were being used as day charter boats and had a
single covered cabin the length of the boat.

My point is that there are innumerable junks, sampans and other local
boats that you can buy fairly cheaply.

The alternate is to have something built .

I have no idea what type of work you will be doing in China but my
experience is that expatriate salaries are high enough that you can
afford to have a reasonable size boat built. Labor costs are CHEAP in
that part of the world.

Normally, the majority of a boat's costs is in the fitting out and if
you stick to Chinese made gear -- engine, transmission, sails, etc.,
you should have a pretty cheap boat. I can't quote prices in China but
as an example I just had the interior of a 40 ft. sloop refurbished in
Thailand including replacing some delaminated plywood in the galley
area, inumerable screw holes plugged and the entire interior scrapped
to bare wood and re-varnished and my cost in thailand was about US$
514. Labor in China would be cheaper.

In other words, "go for it!"




Ibid
(k4556ATinetDOTcoDOTth)

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

But this time, maybe I'm going in a TOTALLY
different direction.

- Really rough-built larger (30 to 50 feet) fishing boat, all wood,
indigenous materials and construction, probably going to deteriorate
badly in 5 to 10 years. Add a decent different cabin setup.
- Re-Engine in a less-than-ideal homebrew fashion.
For a look at actual boat building / repairing in China using the
'old' methods, see: http://www.terryking.us/photoalbum/main.php?
g2_itemId=2605
Which are photos someone kindly sent me from a year or so ago...

Love that two-man sawmill :-)

Try Again: see:
http://www.terryking.us/photoalbum/m...g2_itemId=2605

Sigh. Try this:
http://www.terryking.us/photoalbum/m...g2_itemId=2605

Terry,

The idea is great, just remember that you are going to be dealing with the
Chinese govt. and going back and forth on the water between hong kong and
mainland, even Shenzhen will be interesting and may involve a few questions.
Otherwise, what the hell, have fun.

Brian

Thanks! Knnnn and Brian...

This is invaluable information for someone who's never been within
10,000 miles of China, but who's going there...

Fortunately the "Fitting Out" part is my strong point, engines,
welding, electronics and like that. I'm retired, with USA SS and a
smaller pension from a shorter second career at IBM. I have a couple-
few $K saved up (And I'm motivated to try to save some more / make
some more between now and August. Never been a good money guy :-) I
will have a few hundred$ a month available while I'm there. So I'll
work something.

And TEAK.. It seems there's a big break in longevity based on
materials used in China. I get the impression that those really rough
boats seen in some of the photos I posted (Thanks to you-know-who)..
are made of (some species) that is cheap and only lasts a few years.
Anyone able to illuminate more on that subject??

Uh-Oh, now I have a Chinese Teapot full of questions brewing! I
probably should take some of them to new threads. Like:

- Cheap conversions of Nissan automotive diesels / Drive systems
- Welding / Brazing copper to build exhaust manifolds
- Homebrew heat exchangers

- Modern caulking materials for old boats

- Building a new cabin into an old boat, with construction / sealing /
ventilation so it doesn't always smell like the bilge.

- Computer Hardware / Interfaces / WiFi / OS / Software / Display for
homebrew shipboard system.

Anyone interested in these???

(I'll add a photo of my Vermont boat to the Chinese ones I pointed to
above...)