No Problem, Mr. Walt: A Memoir of Loss, Building a Boat, Rebuilding a Life, and Rediscovering Marco Polo's China

By Walt Hackman

In 1989, When Walt Hackman's s

• Language: English
• Publisher: 1 Plus Publishing & Consulting
• Release date: May 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9781949736151

Walt Hackman

Author Walt Hackman is a retired computer executive, art gallery owner, philanthropist, Navy serviceman, father, husband, and world traveler. He joined the navy in 1954, where he developed a passion for the sea and an interest in Asian culture. He lives in Bakersfield, CA with his wife.

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What Others Are Saying About

No Problem, Mr. Walt

Five Stars - Delightful, surprising and hard to put down! Best Memoir I have read in some time.

I am always a bit cautious when I agree to read a memoir as I have found the majority to be tedious and more than a little boring, but this was an exception. No Problem, Mr. Walt is charming, informative, cringe-worthy and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny. It has an unexpected appeal and is difficult to put down. Well worth a look.

— Sara Jackson, Freelance, Writer/Author, Melbourne, Australia

I thought [this book] was the story of building a handcrafted Chinese junk in a Chinese boatyard, according to modern American specs. Hmm, I thought..To my delight, the book was that and so much more. ..a wonderful portrait of ancient and modern China.. ..the story of a man overcoming adversity and fulfilling a dream ... [with] challenges of communication between different cultures, yet reveals what can be accomplished when both sides exercise patience and goodwill. ..Highly recommended."

— Craig B. Smith, Ph.D., Author of Extreme Waves, Joseph Henry Press

5-Stars - Well done, Mr. Walt!

This memoir moved me emotionally. While reading it I felt like I too was a part of this journey. There are sections of this book which are extremely agonizing and [and some] which are incredibly funny. After all, life itself is that way; there are those inevitable crests and troughs. The writer has documented the changes in his life without any exaggeration. Penned in impeccable style, this book makes a perfect read. It is both entertaining and inspirational."

— Sara Chatterjee, Book Blog, Page-Hungry Bookworm

Five-Stars Fascinating! I was immersed from the first page!

I was amazed by this book! Hackman uses a combination of narrative, expository, and descriptive writing that invites readers to join him on his amazing adventure. Readers will find themselves immersed as Hackman guides them along busy city streets, into shops and restaurants through the countryside to explore remnants of a rich and ancient culture, and discusses the trials and triumphs he experienced while building his Chinese junk.

— Charity Rowell-Stansbury, On My Kindle Book Reviews

A fascinating tale of a man, a boat, and China.

This is not just a story about getting a junk built —it’s a story about Hackman learning how to get things done in China, what he learned about the culture, and how he applied that. It wouldn’t be a book about international travel, business, and misunderstandings without some travel horror stories— but wow, he had some doozies. ... It’s a fascinating book and an easy, rewarding read. Give it a shot, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised."

— H.C. Newton, Book Blog, Irresponsible Reader

Five Stars -Fantastic Memoir, Couldn’t Put It Down

A poignant and fascinating journey. While we all dream of traveling to far lands or building a boat, etc. how many ever strike out and take the risk especially after a devastating and life-changing loss of a child. Felt like I was walking with Mr. Walt on his journey to overcome his son’s death and rebuild his life through the Mei Wen Ti. Buy the book. You won’t be sorry. Great read!

— Lynn, Amazon

Five Stars - I enjoyed this book and

learning about China and how Walt rebuilt his life after tragedy and finding purpose again and how if you really want something—with determination and hard work and good people to help—anything is possible. Walt lets you into his life and the heartache that lead to him building a Chinese junk with honesty and laughter. It made me feel better about my life and also gave me hope that I can make things better with the right motivation.

— Page Inman, Goodreads

This book is extremely readable.

It held my attention from beginning to end and I looked forward to each new chapter. It is difficult for me to imagine that this is his first book. I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in rebuilding a life, in boating, and in travel to China. That is one heck of a scope.

—Fred Hinker, Santa Rosa, NM

A Charming Melange

A piano instructor told a student’s mother, Madam, I have been teaching piano to generations of students. I have heard students play on the white keys, and I have heard them play on the black keys. But your son is the only one who can play in the spaces in between.

Walt Hackman’s book plays all the notes between the keys, and often many at the same time. It produces music of a kind that defies a label. It scoffs at the concept of ‘genre’. It is the story of an inner journey. It is the story of a journey in China. It is a memoir, an autobiography, a diary, a travelogue. And a history lesson ... and a recipe book ... and a how-to guide. It is a merry stream-of-consciousness rambling from the pen of an astute observer of people and events. And somehow it all comes together charmingly.

— Malini Seshadri, The Book Review

What a story!

I discovered this fascinating book while attending a wooden boat festival in Newport Beach. While each of the beautifully restored classics there had its own creation tale, Walt Hackman’s Chinese junk adventure has to top them all. Mr. Hackman undertook this project to help rebuild his life after a great personal tragedy. His account is part Chinese history and culture, part wooden boat design and construction, and part international travelogue. It’s a great read.

— John in Albuquerque, NM

Five Stars - Mr. Walt’s Ballad of the Voyager

This is a fascinating story that anyone who loves classic wooden boats will enjoy. Walt Hackman’s conversational story style does a superb job of blending China’s history with his own experiences and making even a simple breakfast surprisingly interesting. Having seen wooden junks weaving among great modern cargo ships in Hong Kong harbor fifty years ago, I felt a special kinship with Mr. Hackman’s pursuit of his dream to have a wooden junk built half-way around the world by people who spoke little English for a customer who spoke virtually no Chinese.

— Amazon Customer

A Wonderful Adventure!

This is an amazing story! It isn’t just about an American having a live-a- board boat built for him in China. It is about embracing change and taking the next steps in life when those steps are difficult or it is unclear where they will lead next. Mr. Walt’s next steps lead to learning and adventure. It is a pleasure to feel like I am with him on his journey and meeting interesting friends along the way.

— Pamela Beard Wheeler

Note from a 2019 Christmas card

I read Walt’s book last year and couldn’t put it down. I really liked the details of getting the big project completed, as well as the Chinese history along the way.

— Paul Rigney

Copyright © 2015 Walt Hackman

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers.

No Problem, Mr. Walt: A Memoir of Loss, Building a Boat, Rebuilding a Life, and Rediscovering Marco Polo’s China

Edition 3

Print ISBN: 978-1-949736-11-3

ebook ISBN: 978-1-949736-15-1

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020903802

The author has tried to recreate events, locales and conversations from his memories of them. To maintain their anonymity, in some instances the names of individuals have been changed; as well as some identifying characteristics and details such as physical properties, occupations and places of residence.

Cover design by: Raeghan Rebstock

3rd Edition Edited by: Yan Liu

1st, 2nd Edition Edited by: Gordon Jackson

Illustrations by: Ron Pastucha

Walt’s photograph: Ann Chatillon

Photograph of the Ruby Seadragon: Rusty Sabella

Photographs by: Walt Hackman

Published by 1 Plus Books in the US

www.1plusbooks.com

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T0 THE MEMORY OF MY SON WALLY

...forgetting seems to take the longest time.

Willie Nelson, Forgiving You Was Easy

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Lao Tzu 6th Century BC

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The usual acknowledgments page in a book is devoted to a long list of people who assisted the author with the arduous task of accomplishing a near-impossible mission of converting blank paper into a story. This book is different: I wish to acknowledge all the people in The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the United States who helped me convert an idea into a Chinese junk, thereby enabling me to write this true story.

When I was going through the phonebook, after my first trip to China (Chapter 11), I was truly blessed when Larry Drake answered his telephone. For without this American marine engineer, I would not have had a successful project, and this story would never have been told.

Today, in my mind, I can still see the boat pictures that covered one wall in his office and there among the fishing boats, sailboats, yachts, and tugboats is a picture of the Mei Wen Ti.

A NOTE ON ROMANIZATION

The conversion of Chinese words into the Western alphabet is called, Romanization: a convoluted process that evolved over many years. In writing this book, I used two systems: the pinyin and Wade- Giles. Where possible, I have used the Chinese standard pinyin system for the transliteration of Chinese names of people (including divine beings), places, dynasties, books, Chinese words, and concepts. The other system I used was the older Wade-Giles system, the more traditional Romanization most Westerners are accustomed to. I used both systems because many of the older traditional names and places would be more familiar to the reader. The first time a traditional name is used, the pinyin name follows in square brackets. As an example, Hong Kong will appear Hong Kong [Xianggang]. Most people in America can’t even pronounce the pinyin name and sure as hell won’t know where it is. This is because pinyin has a phonetic convention and does not represent English pronunciation. Both names will appear in the book only once.

In cases where I use pinyin, it is without reference to the other system. In the back of the book, I’ve provided a list of all the people (including divine beings), places, dynasties, books, Chinese words and concepts that appear in the text. I have added dates, titles, and so forth for reference.

To make the system of names just a little more confusing, there is one final thing to know about Chinese personal names. In China, a name is written with the last (surname or family) name first and the first (given) name next. For instance, Xi Jinping, the Paramount Leader of the People’s Republic of China, would be addressed as President Xi, not President Jinping. Now you know why they called me Mr. Walt.

Walt Hackman

BALLAD OF THE VOYAGER

Ocean voyager, on heaven’s wind,

In his ship, far wandering

Like a bird, among the clouds,

Gone he will leave no trace.

Li Po [Li Bai] Tang Dynasty poet (701 - 762)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

T0 THE MEMORY OF MY SON WALLY

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A NOTE ON ROMANIZATION

BALLAD OF THE VOYAGER

PREFACE

MAP OF EASTERN CHINA

A NEVER-DEPARTING SHADOW

THE CHINA TRADER

BEFORE THE FIRST TRIP

SHANGHAI - FIRST TRIP

DINNER IN OLD SHANGHAI

IS THIS THE BEGINNING OR THE END?

SAVING FACE

JUNKS IN CHINESE HISTORY

THE YANTZE AND THE GRAND CANAL

BEIJING, KIDS, AND PEKING DUCK

THE TOUR CONTINUES

A CHINESE BREAKFAST

STATESIDE AND HIRING LARRY

BACK TO THE BOATYARD - SECOND TRIP

GREEN TEA AND TSINGTAO

SUZHOU AND THE JUNK TEST DOCUMENT

MEI’S PARENTS’ NEW

SHANGHAI APARTMENT

SHANGHAI JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY

TRAVELING CHINESE STYLE

GOING HOME: THE LA RIOTS

SHANGHAI, CRICKETS, AND PU YI -

THIRD TRIP

A SMALL, PLAIN HOUSE AND OTHER PLACES

HAVING NOODLES WITH MR. WEN

SEEING THE JUNK FOR THE FIRST TIME

THE EIGHT IMMORTALS AND OTHER GODS

CANTON TRADE FAIR AND HONG KONG

DINNER AT DON’S - THEN TROUBLE

BY MYSELF - FOURTH TRIP

CHINESE NEW YEAR

NATURAL CURES

CHINESE POETRY

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN

MARCO AND ME

STILL A LOT TO DO

YOUR REQUEST IS RIDICULOUS

AND IMPOSSIBLE

WHAT TO DO - ARBITRATION IN CHINA?

LAST TRIP TO CHINA - FIFTH TRIP

THE JUNK ARRIVES

ON A NEW PATH

APPENDIX

PEOPLE

PLACES

ABBREVIATIONS, DEITIES, AND OTHER WORDS

DYNASTIES AND PERIODS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PREFACE

Scan the Hong Kong harbor. Crammed stem to stern on its sparkling waters are hundreds of ships and boats—big and small, old and new, with listing masts and soaring funnels. There are luxurious yachts and rust laden container ships, pleasure craft, fishing skiffs and tugboats. But here and there, dotted amongst them all, you still see a few traditional Chinese junks plying the harbor much as they have for many hundreds of years. China has eighteen thousand miles of coastline, along with thousands of miles of canals and rivers where junks can still occasionally be seen. In the US, though, there are only a few, all imitations of the original...except one:

The Mei Wen Ti.

The fifty-four-foot-long Mei Wen Ti is presently berthed in Morro Bay in sunny Southern California. Built completely by hand in the early 1990s in an ancient shipyard not far from Shanghai, the Mei Wen Ti is the only authentic wooden junk of its kind and size in America.

How the Mei Wen Ti got there is part of what this book is about. The journey of building the Mei Wen Ti did not begin in a way I never expected, nor would I wish on my worst enemy. To say it’s the story of a journey I never, ever thought I would take is an understatement.

Looking back, I now realize I had daydreamed about living on a boat for a long time, but I certainly didn’t think it would ever happen. By the end of the 1980s I had a wonderful family, a mortgage, an MBA (Master of Business Administration), and owned two art galleries and frame shops; one in North Glendale (Montrose) and a similar one in Old Pasadena. I was president of the Old Pasadena Business and Professional Association, and I volunteered with the Flying Samaritans, a non-profit organization that provides health care for the underserved in Mexico. I was a busy man and the dream seemed impractical and remote. When the daydream popped in my head, I’d push it back down. And then came the worst day of my life.

In April 1989, my son, Wally, was indiscriminately murdered by a complete stranger. After that dark day, my life seemed to have lost its moorings. Blurred by grief and sorrow, I was sure life as I had known it was over. I lost interest in my businesses and stopped flying to Mexico with the Flying Samaritans. My son’s death and my divorce a short time later left me with some big decisions to make.

Here I was at fifty-five years of age, thoroughly set adrift. One day I sat pondering where to live and what to do when I remembered how Wally, my daughter Lynn and I had laid down blue masking tape outlining an early sketch of a Chinese junk on the showroom floor of the art gallery. Thinking of how our lives had changed in an instant and remembering how enthusiastic Wally had been that day, I thought, why not, finally, pursue my dream? Why not live on a boat? But not just any boat: I wanted something unique that honored Wally’s memory and our times together. Having looked for boats around Southern California, I had come to realize that nothing could compare to the Chinese junk we laid out that day. So, I got back in touch with a modern-day China trader I had met, and the adventure began. This book tells the story of that adventure, which I have come to view as Wally’s parting gift to me.

While the narrative is woven around my experiences during the construction of the Mei Wen Ti, it is also a journey of discovery. And it is more: a travel book, a memoir, a little history, and a first-person account of life in an ancient land. The story alternates between California and China while the junk is constructed.

It’s about China and the incredible spirit of her people, and little bit about ancient China. It’s about understanding the difference between fighting and singing crickets, enjoying breakfasts of congee [xifan] and green tea, discovering the Eight Immortals, walking the streets of Shanghai at daybreak, riding in a Red Flag limousine, learning the proper way to eat dim sum (the chicken feet dish must precede the sweet bean wontons), and how ordinary Chinese citizens work and play. But mainly this story is about the people and experiences I encountered during the construction of the junk, and the new path my life took in the process.

Mei wen ti means no problem in Chinese and I thought it would be a fitting name for the junk. I chose this playful yet sarcastic name because no matter what I asked during the beginning of this tumultuous two-year process of building the junk, that’s what the Chinese builders answered. This beautiful and unique vessel’s birth, however, was anything but unproblematic, as you will see.

MAP OF EASTERN CHINA

CHAPTER ONE

A NEVER-DEPARTING SHADOW

It was 1993 and one of those beautiful sunny December days you get as a bonus for living in Southern California. I was walking down the edge of the pier toward berth 243 in Los Angeles Harbor; ahead of me was the super-sized container ship Express Heaven, piled high with shipping containers, waiting to be unloaded. A squawking seagull took flight from a piling as I reached the ship and turned to walk up a long steep aluminum gangway to the main deck.

As I reached the top of the gangway, one of the ship’s officers said, Good morning, how can I help you?

I’m the owner of the Chinese junk up forward that you just brought in from Hong Kong, I replied, and I’ve stopped by to find out when it is scheduled to be off-loaded into the water.

As he shuffled through papers on a clipboard, he said, Doesn’t look like the shipping documents have shown up yet. We can’t unload it into the water without all the proper paperwork.

I was disappointed, but not surprised. I’ll fax the import-export company in China and see what happened.

If there is a delay in getting the documents, we will unload your boat onto the pier, he continued. This ship must clear the berth on schedule. If they have to unload your boat onto the pier, they will charge you to lift it and set it in the water later.

I understand. Thanks for your help. I turned to leave and saw the junk sitting up forward on the main deck, dirty but in one piece. The large canvas covers supported with large bamboo poles that the Chinese had used to protect her during shipping were torn and hanging down. Mei wen ti (no problem), I thought as I set off to track down the missing paperwork.

The paperwork didn’t arrive, so several days later I went back to the pier to watch the junk being unloaded. It was lifted skyward by one of the immense gantry cranes along the pier next to the Empress Heaven. The crane looked like a monster from a Star Wars movie. I watched the junk rising from the deck as if taking flight. The junk hung suspended in midair for just a moment and then the big crane started slowly moving it toward a predetermined spot on the pier. From the crane operator’s perspective at the top of the crane, it must have looked about the size of a loaf of bread. As I stood looking up at it, the tiger head painted on the bow of the Mei Wen Ti was getting bigger and bigger. How relieved I felt now that its long journey was nearly over.

After it was placed on the pier, a crew of longshoreman disconnected it from the crane. After a few minutes, I walked over to look at it. I hadn’t seen it for about five months. As I approached the junk, a longshoreman in khakis and a hard hat walked up next to me and stood quietly looking up at the junk.

After a while, he said, What a great boat; are you the owner?

Yeah, my name’s Walt, and it’s a Chinese junk, I replied.

I thought so, he responded. They call me Duke. I helped get her lifted from the main deck onto the pier. I knew the Empress was in here from Hong Kong [Xianggang]. Where in China did your junk come from?

It came from a small boatyard near Shanghai, not far from the Yangtze River [Chang Jiang], I said, as I started walking slowly around the junk.

Duke joined me as I inspected the hull for any signs of damage from the long trip and all the handling. The Chinese had built a cradle at the boatyard and secured the junk in the cradle, and then towed the junk down the Yangtze River to Shanghai. In Shanghai, it was loaded onto the main deck of a small cargo ship. The cargo ship took it about 800 miles south down the coast of China to Hong Kong. It was unloaded, and after a short stay, it was loaded as deck cargo on the Express Heaven for its long trip across the Pacific.

Mind if I ask you a question? Duke said.

No, I replied, anticipating he was going to ask how much it cost.

How can I get one of these? he asked, as if he thought all I did was look in some gigantic Chinese catalog under J and order one.

Well, I said, It’s kind of a long story—a very long story.

That story has its genesis in a series of hard knocks I received on the way to the good life in 1989-90. So as not to make this a story about my misfortunes, I thought I would condense them into a small part of the book, up front, and then get on with the front story. The story is not about the ups and downs of my former life, but about rebuilding my life while on a journey to build a boat and discover China. This is what happened.

I once had a great wife, two wonderful kids, a fine house, a nice car, a master’s degree, two businesses, great father- and mother-in-law, friends, and a long list of other privileges and possessions. Efficiency, punctuality, achievement, and success were all important.

Somewhere along the way two things happened that changed the course of my life completely and unexpectedly: my son Wally found drugs, and my wife Diane and I slowly started falling out of love. The two problems got worse as time went by; I’m not sure if they were connected, and I suppose I’ll never know. The drugs and all its aftershocks took their toll on the whole family, and our daughter Lynn left home to start a happier new life of her own. Diane and I buried ourselves in the businesses.

When it looked like Diane and I were headed for a separation, I decided it was time to start thinking about a place to live. I thought about this for days. After going through a long list of possibilities, I finally decided: I would live on a wooden boat. Why a wooden boat? I believe a wooden boat has a distinctive feel and personality and after many years of use they even have their own smells from cooking, diesel fuel and the smell of the waters they had explored. And so, I find that wooden boats are warmer and more inviting - like a home. And a home is what I needed. I had often thought about living on a boat, and this was the perfect opportunity. It would certainly allow me to get out of the area and live at the beach. So why not finally pursue my dream?

Having decided to live on a wooden boat I wanted to find one that was unique and signaled a fresh start. I spent weeks looking at boats up and down the California coast that were within my budget but just couldn’t find the right one. I was determined to keep looking, and then a simple question to a real twentieth century China trader did it. I asked him about wooden boats in China, and before I knew it, I had made contact with an ancient boatyard in the eastern coastal province