Very interesting story , I vividly remember them during the many tours of duty in the early seventies Hong Kong and Shanghai
YANGTZE RIVER HIGH-NET FISHING SAMPAN [COMPLETED BUILD]
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@RogerD Hello Roger. Thank you for dropping by and for all the positive comments - I am glad that you are enjoying the log. You are right - Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan - the humble sampan has made its way into all of them and in doing so has created a wave of nostalgia all over Asia. As they are gradually disappearing, those who have experienced them can regard themselves as fortunate. Obviously not all experiences are positive, but they are experiences nevertheless.
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@Robertd Hello Robert. Thank you for taking the time to visit the sampan log. I know that the Cutty Sark is keeping you very busy and you are making great progress with her. Yes, Hong Kong and Shanghai both played instrumental roles in the legacy of the Sampan in China. Hong. With ever-dwindling sampan numbers, Kong remains to this day the one place where you are most likely to encounter one.
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First of all I want to say a big thank you for the overwhelmingly positive comments on the build so far. It is clear to me that the sampan evokes a lot of emotional nostalgia and is clearly a much more "international" craft than one would expect.
So, back into the shipyard and next up was the keel sheeting (on the underside of the keel stringers). I use the word “sheeting” as the keel is covered by 6 separate (thin) pieces of an unknown wood-type. At first I thought it was laminated, but it's not, so its probably some kind of basswood. This sheeting would also provide the first opportunity to “test” if the hull curvature was done right.
Keel sheeting laid out and marked to ensure the correct assembly-order.
Glue applied, clamped to the underside of the stringers and left to dry. This is what it looks like if a humble sampan has secret ambitions to be a Viking longship!
Thankfully, it all panned out and this was actually the first “easy” part of the whole build process. The sheets were very accurately cut and quite pliable which made the whole process a fairly straightforward one. The fact that the sheets fitted so well was at a least another clear indication that the hull was not warped.
The underside sheeting is completed by two pieces of thin pearwood - one which is mounted at the stern, the other at the bow. Once the glue was properly dry, the bottom sheeting was sanded smooth to provide a uniform foundation for the actual bottom-planking.
This picture shows the end pieces attached to the bow and the stern.
With the keel sheeting and end-pieces in place, the floor planking for the fish tank could be done. I wasn’t sure how this was going to pan out because of the altered curvature of the hull, but it was an easy job with just a minute bit of sanding required. At least I was feeling a lot more confident that the torsion bars had done what they were supposed to do.
That is all for the being my dear friends. If all goes well, Wednesday and Thursday will be my off-days and I hope to get more done.
As always, take care, stay safe and enjoy your model building.
Warmest regards - Heinrich
So, back into the shipyard and next up was the keel sheeting (on the underside of the keel stringers). I use the word “sheeting” as the keel is covered by 6 separate (thin) pieces of an unknown wood-type. At first I thought it was laminated, but it's not, so its probably some kind of basswood. This sheeting would also provide the first opportunity to “test” if the hull curvature was done right.
Keel sheeting laid out and marked to ensure the correct assembly-order.
Glue applied, clamped to the underside of the stringers and left to dry. This is what it looks like if a humble sampan has secret ambitions to be a Viking longship!
Thankfully, it all panned out and this was actually the first “easy” part of the whole build process. The sheets were very accurately cut and quite pliable which made the whole process a fairly straightforward one. The fact that the sheets fitted so well was at a least another clear indication that the hull was not warped.
The underside sheeting is completed by two pieces of thin pearwood - one which is mounted at the stern, the other at the bow. Once the glue was properly dry, the bottom sheeting was sanded smooth to provide a uniform foundation for the actual bottom-planking.
This picture shows the end pieces attached to the bow and the stern.
With the keel sheeting and end-pieces in place, the floor planking for the fish tank could be done. I wasn’t sure how this was going to pan out because of the altered curvature of the hull, but it was an easy job with just a minute bit of sanding required. At least I was feeling a lot more confident that the torsion bars had done what they were supposed to do.
That is all for the being my dear friends. If all goes well, Wednesday and Thursday will be my off-days and I hope to get more done.
As always, take care, stay safe and enjoy your model building.
Warmest regards - Heinrich
Amazing how all that is coming together, Nice work.
Jan
Jan
The hull design is interesting. Basically a flat bottom boat, but with angles bow and stern. This breaks normal tradition of having a v-shaped hull for a better turning radius, as the ship can lean. In addition, a v-shape breaks the water better, producing a lean wake. The flat bottom hull was typically used on small craft for better stability. But this appears to be a large ship with a flat hull variation, which makes sense because it is a slow vessel with emphasis on stability.First of all I want to say a big thank you for the overwhelmingly positive comments on the build so far. It is clear to me that the sampan evokes a lot of emotional nostalgia and is clearly a much more "international" craft than one would expect.
So, back into the shipyard and next up was the keel sheeting (on the underside of the keel stringers). I use the word “sheeting” as the keel is covered by 6 separate (thin) pieces of an unknown wood-type. At first I thought it was laminated, but it's not, so its probably some kind of basswood. This sheeting would also provide the first opportunity to “test” if the hull curvature was done right.
View attachment 243478
Keel sheeting laid out and marked to ensure the correct assembly-order.
View attachment 243479
Glue applied, clamped to the underside of the stringers and left to dry. This is what it looks like if a humble sampan has secret ambitions to be a Viking longship!
View attachment 243480
Thankfully, it all panned out and this was actually the first “easy” part of the whole build process. The sheets were very accurately cut and quite pliable which made the whole process a fairly straightforward one. The fact that the sheets fitted so well was at a least another clear indication that the hull was not warped.
The underside sheeting is completed by two pieces of thin pearwood - one which is mounted at the stern, the other at the bow. Once the glue was properly dry, the bottom sheeting was sanded smooth to provide a uniform foundation for the actual bottom-planking.
View attachment 243482
This picture shows the end pieces attached to the bow and the stern.
With the keel sheeting and end-pieces in place, the floor planking for the fish tank could be done. I wasn’t sure how this was going to pan out because of the altered curvature of the hull, but it was an easy job with just a minute bit of sanding required. At least I was feeling a lot more confident that the torsion bars had done what they were supposed to do.
View attachment 243483
That is all for the being my dear friends. If all goes well, Wednesday and Thursday will be my off-days and I hope to get more done.
As always, take care, stay safe and enjoy your model building.
Warmest regards - Heinrich
Also, I noticed the hull is faceted, I thought it was supposed to be curved?
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The Statenjachts, that were used , mostly for inland traveling, had a relative flat bottom too. Take a look to the first pages of my built or Jeronimo's built.
Cheers
Daniel
BOY HEINRICH WHAT CAN I SAY, I MISSED I DO NOT KNOW HOW BUT I DID MISS A LOT OF THE LOG JUST CAUGHT UP,,,YOU REALLY HAVE OUTDID YOURSELF WIT THIS ONE THE HISTORY AND THE STORIES RIVAL THE BUILD ITSELF I INTENTED DO DO THIS ONE ALSO, JUST A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL LOG. GOD BLESS YOU AND ANNA STAY SAFE DON
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@Dean62 Hello Dean. Welcome to the sampan build - it is great to have you here! 
It is not really a large vessel - this particular one was 12metres long - quite big for a sampan, but still small compared to a junk. The curvature of the hull indeed refers to the upswept angles at the bow and the stern. I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "faceted" - it it means segmented or compartmentalized - yes, it is faceted. I speak under correction, but I have read somewhere that the whole idea of the "watertight bulkhead" and watertight compartments was pioneered by the Chinese.
It is not really a large vessel - this particular one was 12metres long - quite big for a sampan, but still small compared to a junk. The curvature of the hull indeed refers to the upswept angles at the bow and the stern. I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "faceted" - it it means segmented or compartmentalized - yes, it is faceted. I speak under correction, but I have read somewhere that the whole idea of the "watertight bulkhead" and watertight compartments was pioneered by the Chinese.
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@Dematosdg You are absolutely right Daniel! The flat bottom, of course, had another advantage - shallow draft. On the sampan, this was particularly important as there are certain areas of the Yangtze that requires the vessel to be "towed" over areas with shallow water and rocky terrains, while it acted as a "surfboard" in the rapids. The Chinese knew what they were doing! 
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This is very interesting, and the history behind it is fascinating.@Dean62 Hello Dean. Welcome to the sampan build - it is great to have you here!
I was referring to a zeppelin shape, where there is not a constant radius, but rather a series of angles with sharp corners, that make a radius. Facets!
I am lost looking for a Sampan Group Build series of logs. Can the existing ones be brought into such a group to follow? Rich@Dean62 Hello Dean. Welcome to the sampan build - it is great to have you here!
He was in an outfit called SACO or also known as "The rice paddy Navy". The headquarters were near Chunking in a place they called "Happy Valley". Google SACO for more interesting info and maps . The Navy had weather stations there that predicted the weather for the Pacific. He was a Major with the Marines and they were the security for the Navy and also trained Chinese gorillas. Here's a couple of other shots. He really like the time in China, especially after landing in the first wave on Guadalcanal.@STGCS Welcome to the build log.What a wonderful photograph, memory and connection to have! In 1944 - even though the number of sampans was already greatly down from the past - they still ruled the waterways of inland China. Where did your father serve in China?
I really do need to build something like this before starting a large war ship, like the San Felipe. I actually purchased a small merchant boat, that I’m going to take full liberties on for fun. But between you and Daniel, I’m thinking I need something really different in my collection.@PT-2 Hi Rich. Nope - there is no Group Build of a Sampan - it's just this one.