There is something about boats that makes people want to work for free. Some join a round-the-world sailing competition, others help Greenpeace patrol the southern oceans, while the truly very silly cross the Atlantic in a canoe. Soon, Nanjingers will have their own chance at maritime glory, with ocean-going expeditions that follow the routes of discovery made by China’s Zheng He in the 15th century.
It shall be the largest hand-built wooden ship ever made. Undertaken by Jiangsu Longjiang Shipbuilding a replica of one of Zheng He’s enormous fleet is to be 71 metres long with six hundred square metres of sail and a main mast some 36 metres high.
That’s where the volunteers come in. Such a size of vessel shall require 36 lucky individuals to crew the giant boat on its expeditions that are to be launched after a sea trial in August 2014, no doubt to coincide with the Youth Olympic Games. The volunteers shall be under the command of a captain, boatswain and chief engineer who are to expected to be named by the end of this year.
The replica vessel is being constructed with the help of craftsmen from families with a history of building traditional wooden ships by hand, the oldest of whom is 78. Zhao Zhigang, general manager of Jiangsu Longjiang Shipbuilding commented, “The construction of the ship provides a chance to revive traditional Chinese shipbuilding techniques
