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Big Eyed Chicken

  • 21 Jul 2016 21:51
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    Reply # 4149233 on 4139447
    Anonymous member

    Using a crew member to guess at a scale figure, I reckon the Bi-Eyed Chicken in the photo to be about 75 ft. (~23 m)

    Swatow, according to Google Earth, is about 210 miles north-east of Hong Kong.
  • 20 Jul 2016 00:24
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    Reply # 4143420 on 4139447
    Anonymous member

    In Marine Rescue I hear many boat names over the radio but Big Eyed Chicken would definitely get a chuckle or two.:)
  • 19 Jul 2016 22:34
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    Reply # 4143286 on 4139447
    Anonymous member
    Fascinating photographs, Jim.  The photo of the boat sailing, certainly looks as though it was taken in Hong Kong.  Do you notice that she is 'rowtor' sailing: but the guys are hauling on sweeps, not 'yulohing'.

    What really intrigues me in the model, which looks, and I assume is, accurate, is the mizzen mast.  It seems to be held by a large, fore-and aft timber, the stern rail and a large component of faith!

    The caption on one photo of a Big-Eyed Chicken in Setting Sails is captioned: "Big-Eyed Chicken" under full sail off Hong Kong's Shek O."  But, as you say, apparently they originated from near Swatow and a further photo shows one from Swatow.

    But as for a favourite - I wouldn't be able to say: Foochow traders and pole junks, junks from Amoy, the deep sea trawler of Hong Kong, or the extraordinarily-rigged boats of Ningpo - they all make my a bit misty-eyed, in truth.
  • 19 Jul 2016 11:31
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    Message # 4139447
    Anonymous member

    The Chinese junk pictured in this month's Boat of the Month is a so-called "Big Eyed Chicken". It is featured in Derek Maitland's 1981 book, "Setting Sails: A Tribute to the Chinese Junk" As I recall, not having the book in front of me, the author said they hailed from a port other than Hong Kong.

    For me, she is the quintessential Chinese junk, my favorite.

    I have uploaded to my Albums, some pictures of a model of this vessel that shows us better the hull shape  than do the photos one can find on the web.
       " ...there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in junk-rigged boats" 
                                                               - the Chinese Water Rat

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