Crew Available: California to China Friendship Voyage

[tfliveright]

I am looking for sailors interested in joining me on a trip from California to China for purposes of underscoring the need to illustrate and potentially publicize our wish to show our friendship with the people of China.
There's a lot to the story that leads me to this project but key is the need to provide another answer to the US-China relationship which from the US side is threatening and of potential existential concern.
Other than the underlying humanitarian objective, the acquisition and preparing an ocean worthy vessel remains as does the seeking financial support.
I hope to hear from folks with interest in putting such a trip together. Lots to think about but I'm psyched.
Get back and I'll stand by to talk and plan.
Tim

[Snore]

Do you have a boat? Do you have the funds for this effort?

[tfliveright]

No's to both your question. In essence, I hope to find folks who share the underlying wish to improve relations with China and are willing to put in the work to raise funds for the venture. If it starts to gel, I could imagine that 4 to 6 sailors with some savings could make it happen. I do know some groups who share my philosophy. One of them Code Pink has numerous connections and has raised funds for several flotillas, ones to Palestine for example.
But, in my hope that this idea is of interest and you are willing to join me in brain storming and knocking on the right doors, I hope to hear back. Perhaps we would benefit from a telephone chat. I look forward to your response.

[George_SD]

Did you reach out to your local Chinese community to see if they would be willing to support/sponsor? Bringing people together is a good thing.

[Chotu]

It’s a nice idea. But it would be much more cost-effective to any charity to fly there. Why is it by boat? Especially small boat?

[tfliveright]

Quick answer is that I love to sail (sailed around world in Blue Planet Odyssey) and am against flying because of the effects on the environment. It's a quirky idea but why not?

[dlj]

I would think making sure the Chinese establishment is welcoming to your endeavor would be a needed first step. I think the suggestion above of getting Chinese here involved a good step.

How are you going to show good will? Are you tied in with public figures? Pubic communications?

There seems to me to be a lot to think about and get set up prior to getting a boat and sailing there.

dj

[tfliveright]

All of what you say makes sense. What I am hoping for are responses from sailors with questions such as yours willing to look for the answers ... i.e. participate in making it happen. Are you interested in involving yourself?

[SailingHarmonie]

I wonder if CruisersForum is an approved website behind the great firewall of the Chinese internet?

[Sand crab]

Have you done any homework? China is not cruiser friendly. Sailing here and there is simply not done. Many ports are set up for large shipping so you have to pay for a pilot to get in and get out. Etc.

[SailingHarmonie]

Originally Posted by tfliveright

I am looking for sailors interested in joining me on a trip from California to China for purposes of ...
Tim

He doesn't really want you to join him, he wants YOU to supply the boat, and the money for the trip and he goes along for the ride.

Nice work if you can get it

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

China is not cruiser friendly. Sailing here and there is simply not done.

It's Ok, they'll all just sing Kumbaya when entering a port.
Sometimes the naivety is astounding.

[dlj]

Originally Posted by tfliveright

All of what you say makes sense. What I am hoping for are responses from sailors with questions such as yours willing to look for the answers ... i.e. participate in making it happen. Are you interested in involving yourself?

Well, I can certainly answer that question: No.

I am putting together my own sailboat at the moment and have plenty on my plate to make my sailing dreams a reality.

However, I've done a lot of foreign work in a number of countries around the world. From that, I can tell you that having a "cultural awareness" - as in get the culture you are looking to work with involved at least some level - is very important. It is difficult to understand from your cultural perspective how your actions may actually be perceived by another culture. At one time, I was working with a culture and had resources at my disposal that I could tap into. But during the conversation of how to work with them, I said one wrong word, and I was iced out totally - even though I had all the best intentions in the world.

Give me a solid answer as to how you feel that putting hundreds of thousands of dollars into a sailboat, sailing it to China with all the resources that entails, and showing up on their shores, gives the Chinese some kind of warm and fuzzy that these 6 folk really want to show how they support Chinese/American relations....

Sorry for being perhaps a bit blunt.

dj

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Have you done any homework? China is not cruiser friendly. Sailing here and there is simply not done. Many ports are set up for large shipping so you have to pay for a pilot to get in and get out. Etc.

and customs is none too friendly either. Just this last August when I went through Hong Kong (way friendlier than mainland china) I was legitimately concerned I might be detained. Just by the way they treated you. It’s a lot more fierce there than we are used to.

we were in a line and they stood in this big circle. About two dozen agents. And they would send us to one of them just based on sort of how we looked. And the agent really really grilled you pretty badly. Not like what we are used to at all.

Not a single greeting or pleasantry. No smiles. Just very stern dispositions. It really felt touch and go. Not a sure thing.

[skipperpete]

What Sandcrab said in post 10. An hour sitting watching the traffic on the Huangpu river will provide all the information you’ll need for the rest of the Chinese coast. It’s hair raising and apart from Hong kong I doubt there’s a single marina anywhere for yachts.... and then there’s the language barrier.
You need to speak the language to get a message across and I doubt anyone really wants to hear you even then.
If you do go ahead with this, get a metal hulled vessel