Princess Taiping - Chinese Junk Sailboat

Boating and Sailing News 03 Jan

Honolulu, Hawaii - The Chinese junk sailboat Princess TaiPing was built to replicate traditional Chinese ocean-going vessels, as well as their sailing voyages. It is a project developed, in part, to quiet any skepticism that Chinese boats could actually travel across vast oceans as early as the Ming Dynasty. Since launching just one year ago, the Princess TaiPing's small crew have proven that indeed it can be done, as they have followed in the wake of (and proven to be as tough as) the sailors of centuries ago. This crew has already sailed their boat all the way from Taiwan to Japan, and then across 5,100 miles of open ocean before arriving in California, USA. The nine person crew is now on their return leg to Taiwan via Hawaii, and will continue their voyage in February, after a much needed break at the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor in Honolulu.

As is traditional, the Princess TaiPing offers little in the form of creature comforts. Crew members slept in tiny crawl spaces during the crossing of the Pacific, rationing fresh water, enduring battering ocean swells, and eating mainly rice and seafood caught while sailing the boat. Princess TaiPing's skipper, 61 year old Nelson Liu, says the main purpose for the Princess Taiping project is to encourage international cultural exchange, and to preserve the craft of Chinese traditional ship building. "We wish people would understand each other more to make the world more peaceful, and we reduce the conflicts. That's our goal," says Liu.

sailing junk sailboat

Princess Taiping
Length overall: 54 feet
Length on deck: 45 feet
Beam: 15 feet
Registered weight: 35 tons
Built: Xiamen, China
Construction: Built of Chinese cedar using 4 inch iron nails (no glue, fiberglass or screws)
Sails: Cotton

- YachtPals Crew exclusevily for YachtPals.com

Princess TaiPing

On January 3rd, 2009 Bruce R Leech says:

dose anyone know any of the sailing characteristics of this boat such as top speed at deferent points of sail and how tight into the wind she can be sailed etc.

Hello I live in Ensenada Mx and Enjoy meeting with other sailors

Slow Boat to China

On January 3rd, 2009 Sailor (anonymous) says:

Nice article thank you. I really like these junk boats.

But I would have called the article 'Slow Boat to China' ;)

Chinese junk Princess Taiping

On January 4th, 2009 Sailor (anonymous) says:

Thanks for the lovely down to earth picture. H (c:

Princess Taiping junk sailboat

On February 18th, 2009 Sailor (anonymous) says:

I rafted onto Princess Taiping in Honolulu recently in January and got to know some of her wonderful crew. We also went out for a sail in all our boats, and I clocked this junk at 6 knots on a downwind reach in about 10-15 knots variable wind. The crew told me she didn't do much better than 60 degress to windward.

Cheers!

Chinese junk sailboat Princess Taiping SUNK

On April 27th, 2009 YachtPals says:

The Chinese sailing junk, Princess Taiping, sank off the northeastern Taiwan fishing port of Suao early Sunday morning after it was struck by a freighter.

All eleven crew members aboard the sailing junk were rescued by helicopter in a Taiwan joint rescue operation after the Princess Taiping sent out a mayday call around 3am Sunday. Shortly after the distress call was sent, the boat sank at a location about 30 nautical miles off Suao. When it sank, it was only 42 nautical miles, from completing the ten month round trip challenge.