6.2.08

F I R S TP R E V697NEXTLAST

Lots of Yachts, Sausalito Harbor
Today the docks of many Bay Area marinas are filled with the yachts of affluent locals. In the 1800s the docks were just as crowded with merchant and fishing vessels from around the world. One particular vessel often seen along the docks were Chinese junks that not only brought in supplies for the Chinese from Hong Kong but also transported fresh produce from the San Joaquin Valley for the non-Chinese community. Piloted by experienced river pilots from the Yangtze River, the junks were a sought-after method for delivering produce from the trunk farms inland.

Eleven specially modified junks were built in San Francisco by Chinese shipwrights in the 1800s. These junks were made out of Redwood, a material never before used for ship building. The Redwood junks performed well on the California rivers. Oppressive local laws required any junk of more than five tons to be captained by a U.S. citizen. The Chinese Six Companies circumvented this unfair law by hiring Caucasian captains to appear whenever officials challenged the vessels.
[ MAP J-10 ]


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