Quanzhou Ship by Schrader - 1:54 - Chinese Junk

[Schrader]

In the last days, I’ve been studying a lot of things about the Chinese Junks at the same time, thinking about which could be my next project.  Finally I reached the conclusion that the Quanzhou Ship, which was discovered in 1973 and dated from the 13th century, would be a real challenge, as well a really interesting way to understand these magnificent vessels.

 

This ship contradicts several theories that were known for certain by then, and with this log, I’ll do my best to show them all to you

 

I’ve chosen 1:54 scale, since (according with estimations) this ship was about 28 m length and 10 m beam.  So with the convention the model will be aprox. 52 cm long, “matching” my preference about model size.

 

 

Let’s start !!!!!

 

Some Pictures

 

[bigpetr]

Very interesting subject. Looking forward to your build, I will learn new thinks for sure.

[woodrat]

Excellent topic and based on real excavation. Just my cup of tea!

Cheers

Dick

[Tony Hunt]

Awesome!  Nick Burningham is a friend of mine, if you have any questions about the Nautical Archaeology article you've referenced I'm happy to pass them on to him.

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by Tony Hunt

[Jim Lad]

Looks like that will be a real challenge and a very interesting build.

 

John

[turangi]

I look forward to following this project!

Edited December 8, 2020 by turangi

[rkwz]

A worthy subject and interesting merchant ship from the Southern Song dynasty.

 

I'm looking forward to your progress.

 

 

[bolin]

Another interesting subject from you. This will be enjoyable and educational to follow!

[Schrader]

Thanks for being here. I’ll need all the help you can give me. 
 

the Quanzhou is a ship that nobody has seen ever..... just imagination and “ invented” prospects based in history and some images and relates...

Let’s see how this evo😅lves 

 

[Schrader]

By the way...... This article which is almost a book.....among others is the main fount of information I have found so far....

you all will see how I Use it   😀

[Schrader]

Let’s start........

 

These are so far the documents I’ve been using.....

 

The one as I already mentioned that had the initial and necessary information to star with is....

 

All those articles have been downloaded from internet free pages.

 

 

[Schrader]

The Quanzhou Ship is (from my point of view) like a break point of pretty much all the concepts that the people had about the ancient ships from China.  In the Article

 

CHINA’S QUANZHOU SHIP FULL OF SURPRISES article by Bob Holtzman we will find a lot of really interesting information....

 

http://indigenousboats.blogspot.com/2012/08/chinas-quanzhou-ship-full-of-surprises.html

 

This ship is considered a large Ocean-Going ship.  Was discovered in 1973 and as I mentioned before, forced a reconsideration of the Chinese shipbuilding history,  and definitely so different from all modern examples of Junks.

 

The part that was found, suppose to be the hull up to the waterline.  I has 24 m Lenght and 9 m beam.  Its projection could be a total of 34 m LOA and 11 m broad ( 112 x 36 feet).  According with the article, could had 380 tons displacement, and had evidence about three Chinese lug sails.  Comparing with the European standards, could be considered “HUGE SHIP”.

 

Some of the amazing discovering were:

 

1. Several layers and very complicated system of planking.  According with Marco Polo, when a Chinese ship needed some planking work, the procedure was to add new layers of plank right atop the old ones.  Some times put to six layers.
2. It was built with a keel and V Shaped bottom,  This is one of the most important one.   Ever since The Europeans and Americans began studying the Chinese vessels (mostly in the 19th Century), the invariable norm had been Keel-less construction with flat bottoms
3. Since then, the Chinese were using the bulkheads system.  In this case there were 12 creating 13 compartments roughly equal size.  This is the time to bring our old friend Marco Polo to the scene......according with him the compartments were used for different kind of merchant....like a modern containers!!!  Today..... such compartments were always observed to have been watertight......  (today we still use this “technology” invented by the Chinese).  In the Quanzhou the bulkheads were pierced with “limber holes” that would have allowed water to flow from one compartment to another, creating a possible advantage that the water could be popped from a singular point.  Personally believe in the “container” theory.

 

The ship was discovered in 1973 and excavated during the summer 1974. The parts above the waterline had perished but the lower parts of the hull have been preserved fairly well in mud and water.

 

Is been located in the 13th century, since first.... is thought that in that time a shipping channel ran that area ( Quanzhou was one of the China major sea ports).  Second.....and the main evidence to dating this vessel comes from 504 copper coins found inside the hull.  Seventy of them date to Song Dynasty ( dated 1272 AC). Let’s remember that about that time the Song Dynasty fell to Mongols.

 

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by Schrader

[rkwz]

Excellent research! There is a hypothesis the ship could have been scuttled when the crew arrived home and found the city had been taken by the Mongols.

 

Thank you for sharing the info and educating us.

[Schrader]

 I’ve been lucky ( a lot ) to have the possibility to be in contact directly with NICK BURNINGHAM the author of this one.....

 

...he has been so kind with me ( a lot of patience because I tending to be intense ). Since this is a ship that no one has seen before, we will need to bring a lot of imagination to complete it.

 

Let’s start with the basic lines plan, this one came from Nick

 

 

And from this.... I’ll need to bring our ship alive!!!!!

[Schrader]

A friend of mine from Spain.... Ricard Llorens has this book

Since has been too difficult for me to get it.... he is sending photos from some chapters

 

for instance..... look these

 

it is a box of surprises. Those are rudders all depends on where are they from. The “century” etc.... all differents

or these.....

 

anchors. Same thing..

now. To investigate which one is the most adequate ☺️

 

 

[rkwz]

Excellent research! I'd love to get my hands on a copy of this too, it looks like a very interesting book.

[Tony Hunt]

I'm glad to hear you're already in touch with Nick B, he's a great guy and a goldmine of scholarly knowledge about early ships. He's also a builder of extraordinarily good ship models.

[Schrader]

Thanks a lot!!!

[Louie da fly]

Looks like this is going to be a fascinating build.

 

Steven

[Ekis]

1 hour ago, Louie da fly said:

Looks like this is going to be a fascinating build.

It's true, for once we see a Chinese boat built by the West, and not the other way around! I will follow with a lot of attention! 😁

[Cathead]

What a fantastic project! I'm quite interested in traditional Chinese cultures as I work with many Chinese authors in my capacity as a scientific editor. My last scratchbuild also attempted to reconstruct a vessel about which little was known above the hull, so I have some appreciation for the complex research and decisions involved (though yours will be far more difficult). 

 

I'm struck by how much those planking cross-sections look like a clinker-built Viking longship. Obviously the bulkheads don't match, but the profile is quite reminiscent.

[Schrader]

Thanks to you all.  I hope we all (included you all) will get there.   I decided to start with the hull forms decision so here we go again.....

 

Starting from this.... the Nick projections ( he has been really clear about the sails...they must be squared not like he suggested in this picture)

 

Imported to Autocad and “built” the hull.....

This is giving me the Idea about the hull,  bow and stern.  Again... this is a ship that no one has seen before. 

 

I have to count on the junk construction methodology ..... I am really surprise by the “plank first frames after”.  We can see that in Egyptian, Vikings and now the Chinese.  Having this in consideration I decided to build a “mold” upside down, also using the Nick plan, I went to the Autocad and....

 

As you can see I “installed the keel already”. And also I was able to “install” the bow form.  The stern is something that I still thinking about. But when you see the picture above,  you can bring the conclusion that the stern had like two levels (I’ll figure it out later).

 

Let’s talk a little bit about the keel.....”The keel is constructed in three parts: the forward and aft portions are made of pine, and the central member is made of camphor wood. The forward and aft keel portions are scarfed to the central member. The central member is 12-57m long by 420 mm wide and 270 mm deep”.......

 

There are some “imperfections” that need to be fixed in the construction phase.

 

We are getting close!!!!! To start, but unfortunately the holidays are going to stop my job a little bit.

 

By the way!!!!  I have not seen my kids (Seattle, Atlanta and Carmel Indiana) in almost 20 months,  We are traveling this coming Tuesday from Colombia!!!  Very exited and .... we know is not the best time to do it.  God help us to be safe and good health.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2020 by Schrader

[Schrader]

On 12/19/2020 at 9:20 AM, Cathead said:

What a fantastic project! I'm quite interested in traditional Chinese cultures as I work with many Chinese authors in my capacity as a scientific editor. My last scratchbuild also attempted to reconstruct a vessel about which little was known above the hull, so I have some appreciation for the complex research and decisions involved (though yours will be far more difficult). 

 

I'm struck by how much those planking cross-sections look like a clinker-built Viking longship. Obviously the bulkheads don't match, but the profile is quite reminiscent.

Not at all!!!  These kind of projects are all the same difficult.  But since you already was “here”. Any help will be appreciated   ☺️  

[Schrader]

On 12/19/2020 at 8:46 AM, Ekis said:

It's true, for once we see a Chinese boat built by the West, and not the other way around! I will follow with a lot of attention! 😁

Thanks.... but remember I’m not Chinese. 😀😀

[Schrader]

After some changes (you won’t notice). The final form is ready. The blue line will be the sheer. The red elements (missing some adjustments) are definitive and the remaining ones are just for the mold

 

[Schrader]

Once I sent this mold to the expert......guess what.....It was not that right.....

If you take a look  the blue line in very end of the bow is what I have.  The thick gray line is what should be.  So I made the correction....

 

 

Now I can move forward.  Since I’m not an Autocad expert..... I usually check the forms with the LOFT function.....

 

I realized that the false frame 4 front is not right....... son another correction...... and finally we are ready to go!!!!!

 

These are the false frames (all but the master).  With this one I’ll move forward to build my mold.

 

 

 

 

[Schrader]

Building the mold I’ll make the base first

 

Then the false frames

 

Assembled

 

Interesting to see that since now the clinker planking is already marked in false frames.... let’s remember that this ship has a very special planking process.......several layers with different joint systems

 

[Tony Hunt]

The work begins. Exciting!

 

[Schrader]

1 hour ago, Tony Hunt said:

The work begins. Exciting!

 

Yeesss!!

[Jim Lad]

All ready to rock and roll! 

 

John