Sailingsteps Hong Kong by Kees Bouten

Around the world: Hong Kong

In sailingsteps of my ancestor captain Jacob Bouten

Around the world: Hong Kong

Zeilsporen van mijn voorvader kapt. Jacob Bouten

Around the wordl: Hong Kong

Hong Kong in sailingsteps Although I spent time in Hong Kong during my trip around the world, it was much too short and the weather was bad. So I hardly saw anything of Hong Kong during the four days I was there and I did not manage to go to Guangzhou and Macau. I will have to go back there another time and arrange for an interpreter to join me. The evening I arrived in Hong Kong (1Feb’10) the weather was still nice, but the next two days were so cloudy that even tourist tours were not running. The third day was slightly better so I went on a daytour on a very Chinese boat through the harbour area (with two other tourists), I had a my only Chinese-lunch and afterwards took a bustour to Victoria Peak (with clouds) and to Aberdeen Harbour.

I don’t think anything can be found to be still there from the middle of the 19 th-century in Hong Kong, at least not in Kowloon. From what I found on the internet before I went, I thought there would be remnants in Guangzhou and was not sure about Macau. Before visiting again, a lot more research will be required, along with arranging for an interpreter while there.

Zeilsporen van mijn voorvader kapt. Jacob Bouten

Around the wordl: Hong Kong From Hong Kong I went to Taiwan, not because of sailingsteps but to visit the parents of Yi-Chen and to see something of Taiwan, the country where she was born and where she grew up before coming to Delft in the Netherlands, where she met and fell in love with my oldest son Maarten. After arriving in Taipei I went immediately on to Tainan, where YiChen did her Bachelor studies Electronics. The next day I travelled on to Kaohsiung in the south of Taiwan, where I spent a couple of days before going to Taipei to meet Yi-Chen’s parents. Maarten had arrived in Taiwan while Yi-Chen was delayed two day’s due to her work).

Sunset in Kaohsiung harbour

Liouhe Night Market

February 11 I met Yi-Chen’s parents at their home, where Maarten arrived some hours before without his luggage. Tthe following evening we went out for dinner with them to the 85 th floor of Taipei 101 with Yi-Chen’s sister Min-Chen aswell and on (Chineese) New-Year’s Eve, I was invited together with the whole family to Yi-Chen’s aunt’s home. th

Taipei 101 and dinner with the Chiang-family and Maarten

Zeilsporen van mijn voorvader kapt. Jacob Bouten

Around the wordl: Hong Kong

Cinese New Year at home and the Chiang-family (now incl Yi-Chen) and Maarten

These meetings with Yi-Chenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family in their environment and together with Maarten and Yi-Chen where of much bigger importance to me than not finding any sailingsteps in Hong Kong and made my trip through Asia more than worthwhile.

Hong Kong, Taiwan and Tokyo

From Taiwan I continued my trip to Tokyo (before flying to Sydney), but similar to Hong Kong it was too short and it also rained for the two days I was there.

3 Kees Bouten ÂŠ 2012 Sailingsteps

Zeilsporen van mijn voorvader kapt. Jacob Bouten

Around the wordl: Hong Kong Before Jacob Bouten left San Francisco in 1853 to Hong Kong, he discussed the possibility to sail to Sydney next. Although Jacob Bouten went to Batavia instead, I went to Australia, not because of sailingsteps but to visit some friends in Australia. On the first day I visited Sydney, where I came upon the

“James Craig”, a three-masted barque in front of the Maritime Museum! Nothing much you may say, but for me at that moment rather special. The barque James Craig was built by Bartram, Haswell & Co. in Sunderland, England in 1874. Originally named Clan Macleod, her maiden voyage was to Peru. For 26 years she plied the trade routes of the world carrying general cargoes during which period she rounded Cape Horn 23 times. In 1900 she was purchased by Mr J J Craig of Auckland and was used on trans-Tasman trade routes as a general cargo carrier. In 1905 she was re-named James Craig and then a short six years later, in 1911, she was laid up because increasing competition from steam ships made sailing vessels uneconomical. She was then stripped and used as a copra hulk in New Guinea. After the First World War there was an acute shortage of cargo ships. This gave James Craig a new lease of life after being towed from New Guinea to Sydney for re-fitting. The Australian barque James Craig sets off on her final voyage to Hobart in 1920 Her return to service was brief because in 1925 she was reduced to a coal hulk at Recherche Bay, Tasmania. In 1932 she was abandoned and became beached after breaking her moorings in a storm. She remained beached until 1972 when volunteers from the Sydney Heritage Fleet re-floated her. In 1973 she was towed to Hobart where temporary repairs were carried out. She was towed to Sydney in 1981 and restoration work commenced. The James Craig's restored hull was re-launched in February 1997. She was recomissioned in 2001. The hull was originally of riveted iron construction. During restoration many plates had to be replaced with steel. Under the waterline one third of the original iron plates still do their job. The hull is totally riveted. The fore and main mast are of riveted steel construction with timber top, topgallant and royal masts. The Missen mast is of timber. The fore and main course yards are riveted steel. Upper yards, boom, gaff and jibboom are timber. Standing rigging is wire rope that has been parcelled and served to preserve it from the elements. Sails are made of Duradon. There are 21 sails with total area of 1128 square metres. The length of the ship is 54,7 metres (overall 70 metres), registered tonnage 646 tonnes (loaded displacement approx. 1500 tonnes), masthead height 33 metres above deck, 35 metres above waterline. Typical cargo: coal, kerosene, timber, wool, general cargo. Off Sydney Heads, on a glorious summer day in February 2001, she hoisted all her 21 sails for the first time in nearly 80 years and is now fully operational. James Craig is berthed at Wharf 7 Pyrmont.

Zeilsporen van mijn voorvader kapt. Jacob Bouten

Around the wordl: Hong Kong

The barque “James Craig”

It was more than two hours later that I left the ship, with a lot of stories about the reconstruction (all by volunteers) and a ticket for the next day to go out sailing with them! A sailing ship, very much like Jacob Bouten had been sailing for more than 30 years, I was going to be sailing on it, on sail on the ocean! Remarkable.

Parramatta River and Circular Harbour from Sydney Harbour Bridge

Next morning, Saturday 20 February 2010, we set off with a crew of appr. 35 volunteers, including the captain and officers, and with about as many passengers. First out of Darling Harbour, the ship has got an engine nowadays, below the Sydney Harbour Bridge, going past Circular Harbour on the Parramatta River out to the Tasman Sea. As soon as we were on the sea the sails were raised and there we went with a nice wind of 5 Knots on a beautiful day. We sailed on the sea for about four hours, a 15 NM out of the coast, at one poinr together with a school of dolphins swimming around the “James Craig”.

Zeilsporen van mijn voorvader kapt. Jacob Bouten

Around the wordl: Hong Kong

With the “James Craig” on the Parramatta River out of Sydney to the Tasman Sea

The most special moment for me was when I was at the wheel for a while. To be on a ship like this, at sail, on the sea and then to be at the wheel ! I did not have the feeling of being the captain of the ship, not of being in the 19th-century. I don’t know what I felt, I can’t describe it. It was just a wonderful moment and very special experience to stand there at the back of the ship at the wheel and to see it going with all the sails in the wind. I was very privileged not only to be alowed to hold the wheel (nobody else was after I had been on it), but I was shown around all over the ship also in areas where nobody else was allowed to go. So much so that some of the crew got jealous when they heard I had been on the lower deck and in the engine room.

Zeilsporen van mijn voorvader kapt. Jacob Bouten

Around the wordl: Hong Kong

7 Kees Bouten ÂŠ 2012 Sailingsteps

Zeilsporen van mijn voorvader kapt. Jacob Bouten

Around the wordl: Hong Kong It was also very impressive to experience how a tack is made with a square rigged ship like this. I’d never thought of it before other than it could bot be easy. However they managed it the fitst time and they were rather proud of it! Nice to see how those volunteers did it all together and how they enjoyed doing it.

This composition shows some views inside the ship, where the captain was willing to pose for me in his cabin and with his bathroom and bedroom right top. The middle deck was made during renovation of the ship, originally it was not there because the “James Craig” used to be a cargo ship. The lower deck was filled with ballast, consisting of concrete blocks.

Zeilsporen van mijn voorvader kapt. Jacob Bouten

Around the wordl: Hong Kong

Back to Sydney

This last composition is from pictures returning to the river and shows the crew on the rigs getting the sails in before we were back on the river and sailing towards (without sails) Darling Harbour again to wharf 7 in front of the Maritime Museum. During my stay in Australia I was with Axel and Wendy (a former Klinkhamer) first, at their place in St. Ives north from Sydney, where I met their daughters Stephanie and Karen. Karen is married with Duncan and they came with their 6 months young Leela to the Bbq on 21Feb’10, where Wendy’s brother JanPaul came aswell with his wife Debbie and their daughter Zoë. Their oldest daughter Ada was working at that time, but did also come along at the end. Next day I went by train to Wollongong for two days to visit Piet and Nettie, friends with whom I played volleybal in Delft when we where studying there and on Thursday I flew to Melbourne to visit Katelijne and family, another former Klinkhamer. From Sunshine, where I met her daughter Jenneke and son Hylke with his girlfriend Nerie first, we went to her oldest daughter Ynte, who is living since half a year in the bush around Lancefield with Marty. From Lancefield we went to Alexandra where Wytze is building his boat and from there on through the area which was burned completely the year before, back to Melbourne where we were cycling along the coast during our last day together.

Zeilsporen van mijn voorvader kapt. Jacob Bouten

Around the wordl: Hong Kong

Sydney area

Melbourne area

After flying back to Sydney again, first I had a nice dinner with Axel and Wendy in Circular Bay and next day I have been to Penrith, to meet my son Robert where he is training every year in February. Afterwards we went to Sydney together, had dinner in Circular Bay aswell, visited the Zoo next morning and strolled through the Botanical Garden before he left for Penrith again. The day after I left to Auckland, New Zealand.

Penrith Whitewater Park

Robert at Circular Bay

P.S. Jacob Bouten did not go to Sydney after he came in Hong Kong on his second voyage around the world. I am glad that I did it nevertheless (via Taiwan).

10 Kees Bouten ÂŠ 2012 Sailingsteps