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Chinese Junk
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Year: 1960
Current Price: $89,000. USD
(With USCG Commercial Use Documentation)
Location: FLA, USA
Hull Material: Wood
Engine/Fuel Type: Perkins 6-354; 100 hp Diesil
CJ#33
LOA 37'
LOD 34'
LWL 29'
Beam 11' 4"
Yr. Built 1969 on the paperwork (really about 1960)
Draft 5.5' Due to intelligent keel configuration, she can and has navigated in as little as 3' of water.
Engine 6-354 Perkins diesel 100+ HP, Enough power to always get herself off a grounding but the efficient hull design
means the use of as little as 1 gallon an hour.
Borg Warner 2/1 transmission. 24" Max (self-feathering) Prop. Steel grounding keel has bounced across many obstacles
over the years without damage.
USCG Documented # (U.S. built) Vessel which means you can legally charter her in the U.S. and with her huge, flat back
deck with seating all around, she has always been perfect for a Sunset Sail.
For 31 years we have lived and loved the Chinese Junk "CJ#33". In all those years and throughout our travels,
even to Hong Kong, Macao, or in books and pictures, we have never seen a more beautiful Chinese Junk. I am a master carpenter
and I spent many years creating a real, blue water cruising yacht from an original, all-teak, Hong Kong built, Junk. She is
easily single handed, sails much better than you might think, is comfortable for her crew, sea-kindly and safe. She turns
heads wherever she goes. She is the embodiment of romance and adventure with red sails. We have sailed her across the Gulf
of Mexico several times, once in seas over the mainmast, through the Bahamas, out the Thorny Path to the Virgin Islands where
her huge aft deck and low angle of heel was always perfect for Sunset Sails out of an exclusive resort on St. John, meeting
powerful and famous people over Rum Punches and great stories on our deck.
We lived aboard with our infant daughter for over 13 years, writing, traveling, chartering sunset sails, watching for
the green flash and enjoying the people CJ#33 always attracts. We spent several years in the Northwest Caribbean exploring
the Costa Maya, Belize, Guatemala's Rio Dulce (where we wrote a cruising guide) and the north Honduras coast along with the
beautiful Bay Islands. CJ#33 has always meant cruising in the highest style, and she was always ready for new adventures.
I could write a book .... someday I might!
After all these years it's time to find someone to love her as much as we do. Someone who has the heart for adventure,
someone who has the common sense to treat her like the lady she is. You must know and love woodworking, be skilled, handy,
and know that a wood boat is alive, and has a soul. Someone who knows how to roll up their sleeves, and Git 'er Done! Is that
you? A museum would love to have her but she has years of cruising left in her. One last thing on this subject, you should
know that maintenance on this boat is far, far less, and more pleasant than, maintenance on any fiberglass or steel yacht.
I know this from 30 years experience in the marine world. I can show you why and how.
Solid V-berth forward, aft bunk with desk, settees midship, dual sink galley with cold plate refer/freezer, Skipper head,
hot shower, bath sink and lots of storage. Floors open easily for incredible bilge access. Cast lead internal ballast along
with cast steel external ballast. Steel rudder with diamond shaped holes for no-drag steering. Under power she is very maneuverable
and will turn around in her own length making her easy to dock.
Construction: Teak topsides, deckhouse, dodger, bulwarks, decks, spindles and railings. The teak plank deck has a urethane
membrane surface poured over it, very tough and easy to care for. Yacal bottom planking (very hard, practically toredo shipworm
proof), huge frames and simple, solid and short spars, bronze fastened. She is overbuilt by Western standards, like a brick,
and very stiff, and has never worked in a seaway or leaked a drop in the 30 years we have owned her. Interior is a collection
of fine woods including Heart pine, walnut, cherry, redwood , juniper etc. all bronze fastened and entirely and lovingly built
by me. There is no plywood aboard, just solid timber, probably the only wood cruising boat like this anywhere in the world,
so interior maintenance is simplified as well. Cabin top swim ladder is handy for that afternoon dip and the mainmast has
a tabernacle so all three masts can be on the deck (without outside help) in an hour to get under that bridge. This is a very
different wood boat from the wood boats that you are familiar with. Because she is heavily built, she does not work and any
little thing that might not be perfect does not affect her strength. This is the opposite of an old Western built wood boat
where maintenance on the hull alone can be a recurring. We haul her about every three years and a week later, she's ready
to go.
CJ#33 has huge stainless water (275g) and fuel tanks (220g), all in good condition. She has an hydraulic autopilot, air
conditioning, a diesel generator, power inverter/battery charger, dual sinks, refer, hot water, 3 burner stove with oven and
broiler, pressure water, hot shower and Skipper head, ..... all in need of attention. We never got too much into electronics
but we do have a SSB radio and VHF. There are numerous other features aboard like a two-speed bronze, hand crank windlass
w/ chain rode, pot bellied heat/trash stove, a swim platform under the stern that doubles as strong shutters used over the
cabin windows when at sea, 10 inch compass from a Liberty Ship, lots of bronze portholes, beautiful carved wood and bronze
fittings and decorations above deck and below, an all bronze wheel, all fittings above and below are bronze .... I short,
she is the most astoundingly beautiful boat you will ever see and everyone says so.
The rig: The Chinese Junk rig is the simplest, safest and easiest to handle cruising rig of all. It has been under development
for a couple thousand years and is designed around little Chinese people. A properly sailed Junk is very stiff and rarely
heels more than 20 degrees, making it ideal for guests or charter or your wife. I could write a chapter about how safe and
easy this rig is at sea. I can reef the rig, in hundreds of different sail reefing combinations, in five minutes or less.
I used to reef single masts while holding my breath. It's also a simple rig with no fancy fittings to fail, no stays, winches
to grind, no sail tracks, booms, goosenecks, spreaders, no sail changes necessary ever, no extra sails stored below or needed.
One last thing about the rig for you experienced sailors ..... a proper Junk will heave-to without any sail up. That swept-up
stern, so different from Western practice, keeps the bow into a blow while her crew stays safely below, making tea.
No we don't have a survey. She wouldn't pass anyway and we're selling her as is, in the slip behind our house in Fl. She
has a few rough edges but she is solid as hell. We could go for an afternoon sail tomorrow. Someone who knows what they are
doing could have her shipshape and ready for sea this year. Boat will come with uninstalled upgrades, spare parts, extra fittings,
sailing and handling lessons and our long-term advice, goodwill and enough stories to outlast the rum.
This is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to fall in love with something very special.
We absolutely reserve the right to reject any unsuitable buyer. We are determined to get her into competent hands. If
that's not you, your money will be cheerfully refunded.
Return to FOR SALE LIST
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