Buying Yacht accessories in China - Shanghai, Beijing,Hong Kong

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snoozydude

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Gidday

I am looking for information on buying boating accessories in China - is there any to buy? And which markets?

In Hong Kong Shanghai or Beijing.

I will be travelling there soon and though I might get a bargain - I have seen some posting on getting sails made in Hong Kong. For this visit I am probably only after a new VHF, wetweather gear, and stuff I can fit in my luggage.

Web searches on Yachting in China does not reveal much - does anybody have experience with buying this sort of equipment there?

I read recently there is only 600 privately owned yachts in China, so I expect there must be a lot of surplus stock!
 
I know a bit about this: don\'t expect too much!

I lived in Hong Kong for 7 years in the 80's and in Beijing for 5 years in the 90's.

There is a good, but wildly expensive, chandlers in Hong Kong - mainly modern raceboat stuff. Lot of good modern race boats in Hong Kong!

On the other hand I'm still using a mainsheet made of soft Terylene rope that I picked up in an Ap Lei Chai backstreet for very little money.

We picked up a lifetime supply of Musto and Hyde oilskins after befriending a store owner in the Silk Market in Beijing - all genuine - "production leakage". One pair of trousers is labelled "RNLI", but that's the only problem!

You need to hunt down the people doing Musto; they are part of the "Tianjin Mafia".

Anyone can direct you to the Silk Market.

Hong Kong sailmakers - Neil Pryde and Ulmer Kolius ("UK sails") are both good.

Ask in the bar of the RHKYC.

You will do better buying the VHF here.

There is one other thing - not specifically yachty - that I would look out for.

If you like hot drinks at sea but don't want to light the stove every time get a good quality (that means "Japanese"!) stainless steel "air pot" in one of the Japanese department stores in Hong Kong. You can buy them here but those I have seen are Chinese and the quality is nowhere near.

Be very careful with excess baggage, if flying out of China - the airlines all charge like the Light Brigade, and blame each other.
 
Thanks

That is great information.

My usual trick to avoid excess baggage is to board the plane wearing 2 wet weather outfits and a 30m 10mm dacron rope belt.
 
I have lived in Hong Kong for 20 years, own a boat here, and have also lived in China. In Hong Kong if you go to the yacht club shops or chandlers they tend to sell branded products at very high prices. Much cheaper to buy at home.

If you have contacts in boatyards then you can get local chinese made equivalents for many items but the quality is variable.

Compass wet weather gear is made in China and end of line items can usually be found for sale in Stanley market at reasonable prices.

As noted above, Neil Pryde and UK Sails have a reputation for high quality sails at reasonable prices.

There is no sailing community in Beijing (it is rather a long way from water) and the Shanghai Yacht Club comprises a selection of old dinghy's from the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. I am not aware of any retail outlets for chandlery in these cities. You may however find some clothing in markets.

If you travel to Qingdao you may have more luck as this is the base for China's fledgling sailing industry.
 
Shanghai Yacht Club

I'm interested in this because when I was in Beijing (I work for Cosco) I was contacted by the (then?) Secretary who wanted to find out about yacht clubs in England. I arranged for him to visit the Little Ship Club and the Cruising Association, but have since lost contact. I was afraid it would be a sort of maritime country club like the Aberdeen Marina Club but if they have a dinghy fleet then all is well! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: Shanghai Yacht Club

All I can add is that I used to occasionally find cheap oilies and suchlike in the outlet stores in Causeway Bay (Jardines Crescent?) and Wanchai (behind Southorn Stadium), but never in TST. Ap Lei Chau was a bit fishy/industrial- not really yottie I think. Same with Yau Ma Tei.
Probably need to explore random Chinese backwater cities for the real bargains, depending on where it's all made, the products seem to sell locally out of back doors and not far beyond.
Jem
 
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