Hi Matt,
Your article is very informative. I am studying the feasibility of building a wooden ocean going Chinese Junk. History recorded that there were huge junks sailing 600 years ago in Zhenghe's days. The latest record for a large junk sailing across oceans is the Keying which sailed from Hong Kong to New York and London in 1848. She is 160ft LOA, 33ft BEAM and 13ft (rudder up) 23ft (rudder down) DRAFT, 700-800 ton DISPLACEMENT. As it is too difficult to re-build a wooden junk of such size, I am studying the record of fishing junks built about 30 years ago. A junk capable of sailing in force 8 wind. She is 23m(75.4ft)LOA, 5.66m BEAM, 1.69m(DRAFT), 1.2m(FREEBOARD), 138000kg (DISPLACEMENT). There is a dagger board extending 2.5m from the bottom, located about 1/3 waterline from the bow in front of the main mast. The rudder can be raised in shallow water. It is perforated with an area of 6.7sq.meter. The bottom is almost flat. The design of junks were evolved from generations of experience without scientific verification. I am surprised that the length and beam is so close to Volvo 65, but the displacement is 10 times those of Volvo. I am wondering if a flat bottomed boat is stable in rough ocean condition until I read the comment by Andrew Troup in 2012 about a boat without appendages can surf safely on the steep slope of the waves. I am glad if you can shine some light on the stability of traditional Chinese junks.
John Kwong
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Hi Matt,
Your article is very informative. I am studying the feasibility of building a wooden ocean going Chinese Junk. History recorded that there were huge junks sailing 600 years ago in Zhenghe's days. The latest record for a large junk sailing across oceans is the Keying which sailed from Hong Kong to New York and London in 1848. She is 160ft LOA, 33ft BEAM and 13ft (rudder up) 23ft (rudder down) DRAFT, 700-800 ton DISPLACEMENT. As it is too difficult to re-build a wooden junk of such size, I am studying the record of fishing junks built about 30 years ago. A junk capable of sailing in force 8 wind. She is 23m(75.4ft)LOA, 5.66m BEAM, 1.69m(DRAFT), 1.2m(FREEBOARD), 138000kg (DISPLACEMENT). There is a dagger board extending 2.5m from the bottom, located about 1/3 waterline from the bow in front of the main mast. The rudder can be raised in shallow water. It is perforated with an area of 6.7sq.meter. The bottom is almost flat. The design of junks were evolved from generations of experience without scientific verification. I am surprised that the length and beam is so close to Volvo 65, but the displacement is 10 times those of Volvo. I am wondering if a flat bottomed boat is stable in rough ocean condition until I read the comment by Andrew Troup in 2012 about a boat without appendages can surf safely on the steep slope of the waves. I am glad if you can shine some light on the stability of traditional Chinese junks.
John Kwong