Boating options if based in Shanghai

[westernman]

I might end up on a two year assignment to Shanghai.

What are my options for boating if based there?

I have no problems with taking a short haul flight somewhere if that opens up some interesting options.

 

[bbg]

I might end up on a two year assignment to Shanghai.

What are my options for boating if based there?

I have no problems with taking a short haul flight somewhere if that opens up some interesting options.

I don't know how true it is but I just spoke with a friend who told me that pleasure boating is not permitted in China. The only boats on the water there are fishing boats. So he says.
He says that may change soon.

 

[DJE]

Well there's this place but it seems to be on a lake.

http://www.syclub.net/en/index.jsp

I don't know if it counts as a short haul flight but I have done a lot of sailing in Hong Kong.

 

[RupertW]

Well there's this place but it seems to be on a lake.

http://www.syclub.net/en/index.jsp

I don't know if it counts as a short haul flight but I have done a lot of sailing in Hong Kong.

My thoughts too - I lived for a couple of years overlooking the Hong Kong yacht club and it's marina and there used to be a lot of moored yachts past Wanchai - however I think building work and changing population has removed a lot of moorings.

 

[lw395]

I don't know how true it is but I just spoke with a friend who told me that pleasure boating is not permitted in China. The only boats on the water there are fishing boats. So he says.
He says that may change soon.

They seem to sail the olympic classes?

 

[Poignard]

It's a long time since I went to Shanghai in the Merchant Navy (Mao was still alive) and things will certainly have changed since then but at that time yachting in the river there would have been very hairy due to the huge number of craft of all types and size. It was also filthy.

Hong Kong would be better, if you can get cheap flights or use the train. I lived there for 5 years and sailed. There is a long -established club, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, which has moorings, a good social programme and racing.

http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/index.aspx

 

[westernman]

Indeed Hong Kong is a realistic option (might also have a business excuse to visit there fairly often as well).

 

[newtothis]

Hong Kong would be better, if you can get cheap flights or use the train. I lived there for 5 years and sailed. There is a long -established club, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, which has moorings, a good social programme and racing.

http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/index.aspx

Another vote for the RHKYC; did some crewing on day races a few years back. Nice spot on Middle Island in Repulse Bay. Friendly bunch and always seem to be looking for extra bodies for crew. Only limitations are the weather; no wind or monsoons, take your pick.

 

[lpdsn]

I might end up on a two year assignment to Shanghai.

What are my options for boating if based there?

I have no problems with taking a short haul flight somewhere if that opens up some interesting options.

Something definitely seems to exist in China.

http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/199296/China-Cup-International-Regatta-day-3

I was always wary of the domestic airlines in China, but I did survive. Hopefully they've improved in the last decade or two.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Indeed Hong Kong is a realistic option (might also have a business excuse to visit there fairly often as well).

There are extensive moorings and yacht clubs in Hebe Haven, near Sai Kung; probably more than there are on Hong Kong island itself. Cheung Chau has some yachts in the harbour, as do most of the fishing harbours, and of course Aberdeen harbour also has many yachts; Jackie Chan keeps his motor boat there!

 

[HereBeDragons]

Something definitely seems to exist in China.

http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/199296/China-Cup-International-Regatta-day-3

I was always wary of the domestic airlines in China, but I did survive. Hopefully they've improved in the last decade or two.

It has. The majority of Chinese airlines have more modern fleets than BA short-haul Europe flights these days. With a billion + people to fly around a huge country, there's no room for messing around with dated flying rustbuckets. China might be 'poor' but not if you're middle class.

 

[HereBeDragons]

'Pleasure boating' in mainland China just isn't a thing people do. There's a bit of sailing in Qingdao (yes, the beer place), but it's nothing like Europe. It's technically illegal to move a yacht from one province to another, so anything medium distance is out for a start. The people that do have yachts in China generally keep them for show only, and some manufacturers are starting to specifically make 'Chinese' versions of motor yachts. These would have things like a karaoke room instead of cabins, etc. as nobody would ever want to sleep on board. It's literally just a show of wealth, you could probably remove the engine/sails and nobody would ever notice.

Your best bet is HK, with the historical British influence, has much more facilities like you'd expect.

Source: Lived in China, have Chinese wife.

 

[[2068]]

Google Earth shows small boats buzzing around some of the Southern bays in Hainan, but all the Chinese people I have spoken to think it’s a very odd thing to want to voluntarily go to sea unless it’s on a big gray boat with guns, or you earn your living pulling fish from the water.

Maybe a remake of Howards Way or having a character in Downtown Abbey who was a keen leisure sailor might have kick started something.

.

 

[Poignard]

Google Earth shows small boats buzzing around some of the Southern bays in Hainan, but all the Chinese people I have spoken to think it’s a very odd thing to want to voluntarily go to sea unless it’s on a big gray boat with guns, or you earn your living pulling fish from the water.

Maybe a remake of Howards Way or having a character in Downtown Abbey who was a keen leisure sailor might have kick started something.

.

That was certainly the case when I lived in Hong Kong. Although the Chinese may have been discouraged by a sign at the entrance to the RHKYC which read "No dogs and no Chinese admitted". To be fair, that sign was not evident whilst I was a member, but older members of the club assured me of of its existence in former times. The story may have been apocryphal but the fact that it was told was evidence of just one of the many cultural barriers separating the Chinese and the European inhabitants.

Another activity indulged in by the foreign devils which baffled the Chinese was walking for pleasure. There were some fine walks on the Island of Hong Kong, away from the densely populated littoral, which my wife and I used to enjoy. My Chinese colleagues at work could not understand why anyone would walk if they could afford to ride.

 

[HereBeDragons]

That was certainly the case when I lived in Hong Kong. Although the Chinese may have been discouraged by a sign at the entrance to the RHKYC which read "No dogs and no Chinese admitted". To be fair, that sign was not evident whilst I was a member, but older members of the club told me of its existence in former times.

Another activity that baffled the Chinese was walking for pleasure. There were some fine walks on the Island of Hong Kong, away from the densely populated littoral, which my wife and I used to enjoy. My Chinese colleagues at work could not understand why anyone would walk if they could afford to ride.

That's odd about the walking, because when I lived in Shenzhen, we got involved in the hiking scene and did some amazing hikes, mountains, cliffs, etc.

Some of the hiking on the islands around HK is really nice.

 

[HereBeDragons]

Google Earth shows small boats buzzing around some of the Southern bays in Hainan, but all the Chinese people I have spoken to think it’s a very odd thing to want to voluntarily go to sea unless it’s on a big gray boat with guns, or you earn your living pulling fish from the water.

Maybe a remake of Howards Way or having a character in Downtown Abbey who was a keen leisure sailor might have kick started something.

.

I've been to Hainan a couple of times, best I could get was a slightly worse for wear Hobie at one of the resort hotels. Definitely not much in the way of regattas, etc.

Best bet is still HK, where the regatta scene at least partly exists.

 

[Poignard]

That's odd about the walking, because when I lived in Shenzhen, we got involved in the hiking scene and did some amazing hikes, mountains, cliffs, etc.

Some of the hiking on the islands around HK is really nice.

Well I am talking of the late 1960s, a time when one still saw sailing junks and women with bound feet.

Unfortunately, in those days there was very little social interaction between the races.

 

[westernman]

Well I am talking of the late 1960s, a time when one still saw sailing junks and women with bound feet.

Unfortunately, in those days there was very little social interaction between the races.

Shenzhen did not really exist in the 1960's - it was just a small village of 15,000 or so fishermen.

 

[Neeves]

There are many local, call them Chinese, members of the RHKYC, ABC etc. They own boats (with sails), have been Commodores and win races. Frank Pong is but one example. I believe a local young lady won a medal at the Olympics in windsurfing. The idea that the Chinese, or local community, do not sail is incorrect. We had some Chinese crew, we did local 'inshore' races (were Class champions) and the bluewater classic of HK to Philippines (in which we were 'also rans'). The Chinese crew were as keen as the expats.

Jonathan

 

[AndrewB]

When I was in Shanghai three years ago I travelled some distance along the Huangpu looking for signs of yachting life. There was just one, solitary yacht, a rather tatty long-distance live-aboard without an ensign, moored on side of the river, near a place on my map called Noah's Yacht Club. So maybe there's something there, or maybe it's just an upper-crust social club, perhaps you could try contacting them. Sailing on the Huangpu itself doesn't look like a heap of fun - fast flowing and incredibly busy.