Steamliners to Macao

I found this photo of Tak Sing, but a similar search for Dai Loy didn't return anything.

Out of curiousity, what's your interest in the ferries?

Regards, David

Those were the days....

Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9hRU_nAxPY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWAgSIawYZw

Hi there,

I used 大來 as keywords in Google and got this photo.  I am unable to locate any photos of 佛山 (Fat Shan), 南山 (Nam Shan) yet.

Back in the early 1980's I once travelled on the Nam Shan to Macau on a overnight trip.  But subsequent trips was made on the Fai Tat (快達), which had been a modern day non-hydrofoil\jet ferry of the time.  The Fai Tat made the trip slightly less than an hour and a half.  With the older ferries it would take over two to three hours at their top speed.

Best Regards,

T

Hi there,

I remember this one.  It was still in service in the late 1970's and early 1980's.  I don't know where did she go when she retired.  The Nam Shan (南山) I mentioned earlier appeared to a boat of the same era.

Best Regards,

T

Hi there,

I believe if you poke into your Web Browser settings there should be something like a Language setting, which should enable displaying a non-English website if configured correctly even if you are using an English version of operating system. 

My computer runs the English version of Windows XP Professional, but I am able to read and write Chinese.

If you use Internet Explorer it would be in the 'Internet Options' dialog.  There is a clickable button called 'Language'.  Simply add the language you need below your default language should do.

If you use Firefox it's in the Content Tab of the Options dialog.  Other browsers should have something similar.

Try and enjoy.

Best Regards,

T

Try using Google Translate to read it. It's not perfect, but you should be able to get most of the meaning.

HF Siu posted this photo of one of the first Macau-HK ferries, taken around 1865:

Hi there,

It was very likely [金山], Golden Hill.  You should be able to lookup [省港澳 +金山輪] on Google with entries form other Chinese forums around.

Best Regards,

T

Hi there,

Currently reading Ian Fleming's Thrilling Cities.  It would seem Fleming went to Macau on S.S. Tak Shing with Richard Hughes.  He mentioned and I quote "These ferries are not the broken-down, smoke-billowing rattletraps engineered by whisky-sodden Scotsmen we see on the films, but commodious three-decker steamers run with workmanlike precision."  

Thanks & Best Regards,

T

My lasting memories of the ferries during the 1960's were the huge Union flag symbols painted on their sides.

H.

The BAAG Kweilin Intelligence Report KWIZ No: 68 of Sept 1944 mentioned the steamer Fat Shan:

During the Japanese occupation, the steamer was renamed 'Nankai-201' (South Sea), later renamed again 'Koto Maru' (HK Island). It was diverted to operate between HK & Canton. Sailings were advertised in the Hong Kong News.  The operator was Hong Kong, Macao Canton Steamboat Company.

BAAG Agents produced very good intelligence on enemy shipping & dockyards at this stage of the war. 

Some girlfriends and I went to Macao last in 1966, travelling on the Fat Shan. Unfortunately the only photo I took on board doesn't show very much of the deck but I found one of when my parents took us over in 1951.

The ferry was the Hung Mien and this picture of my mother and me sort of gives an idea of the deck on it :)

http://gwulo.com/node/18838

I was told that this postcard was dated in the 1920s but I am not sure.  I recall seeing this postcard on the internet but cannot find the source now.  The postcard is labelled as "Hong Kong - Entering Port Through Sulphur Channel" and published by Raphael Tuck & Sons.

I just found out the Tai Loy was renamed the Chung Shan in 1968. You can see it here in 1975 when it was used during the making of Emmanuelle 2.

and here is a picture of the Tak Shing taken from 1955's Soldier of Fortune.

The keel blocks are ready for Tai Loy in Wing On Shing Shipyard in Sep. 1948.

Newspaper cutting regarding the Keel-Laying for Tai Loy in Wing On Shing Shipyard.

Another newspaper cutting regarding the Keel-Laying ceremony.The gentleman on the top photo is Mr. Harry Cheng Cheong, representative of the ship owner.

First sight of Tai Loy's keel.

Close look of Tai Loy's keel (Stern).  

Close look of Tai Loy's keel (bow).

The launching of m/v Tai Loy.

The speaker is Mr. W. Sprague, senior surveyor of ships, Marine Department. The second on the left is the ship's owner, Mr.Fu Wai-San.

 

The guests at the ceremony. My grandfather is in this photo, he is the one in white suit standing next to Mr. Sprague. At the back is the Wing On Shing Shipyard's office.

 

 Ceremony in Macao. 

Newspaper cutting of the launching of Tai Loy.

 

After many years of service.

The scaled model before it was donated to the Hong Kong Maritime Museum. It had been in Wing On Shing Shipyard's office since the launch of Tai Loy in 1949.

The plaque for the 1:48 scaled model showing the specification of Tai Loy.

That's a great set of photos, thank you for posting them. (The website had got a bit confused with displaying them, but I think they're all shown ok now.)

If you know the location of the Wing On Shing Shipyard, please could you make a Place page for it (http://gwulo.com/node/add/place) to show us where it was?

Thanks & regards, David

I cannot add the location in your "Place" due to I cannot get access to Google Map in China. At the moment I am stationed in China. I can give you a rough idea the location of Wing On Shing shipyard, it is on top of the MTR Cheung Sha Wan station.

The photos I posted on your web site is only part of Tai Loy's photos collection, less than half of it. I can do a presentation of Tai Loy if there is enough audiance.

Those photos are of lower resolution and my original photos are of higher resolution and in TIFF file format.

Best Regards,

Chris.

The model of Tai Loy is now on display in the new Mamaritime Museum in Pier 8, Central Harbour Front.

There is some confusion regarding the date of build of Tai Loy. Actually the building of the ship was finished in October 1949. The launching date was 20th October 1949. The scaled model was built in 1951 according to the plaque in the display box.

Hi Chris,

I've made the page for the shipyard at http://gwulo.com/node/30875

It's created under your account. When you next have access to Google, please could you correct the location of the marker if I've got it wrong? (Edit, drag marker to correct location, save)

Thanks & regards, David

Hi Dave,

I tried to move the location marker but without any success. So I attach a copy of the map with a blue rectangle to indicate the location of the shipyard. Please move the red marker accordingly. Thanks !

Regards, Chris.

Thanks Chris, I've updated the marker's position.

Regards, David

I was looking back at some old comments on my blog and found this one, particularly detailed, by gweilo888 who has posted on Gwulo previously, regarding the Tak Shing. I've edited a bit for reposting here but feel it contains a lot of information that someone might find interesting/useful.

...the Tung Shan (ex-Tak Shing and Sai On)...went to the breakers some time around January 1974...on a Macanese blog there's an excellent photo of her towards the end of her career in [Macau's Inner Harbour]:

https://cronicasmacaenses.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/ferries-antigos-m…

SS Sai On was the third ship built for Tung On, and she had a pretty storied life. She was built to order for the Tung On Steamship Company by the Taikoo Dockyard and Engineering Co. in Hong Kong, and launched in "insistently falling rain" on July 19, 1924. Like the Tung On, her sister ship launched the previous month, SS Sai On was a British-flagged vessel intended for trade with Canton. Tung On's dock in Hong Kong was at the Leung Wing wharf, and in Canton at the Leung Hing Street wharf.

Tung On was the first local river steamer fitted with a Marconi wireless radio, still a relatively new technology "as a precaution against pirates", and Sai On was likewise wireless-equipped. The wireless sets onboard had a range of 200 miles, and were fitted by Marconi International Marine Communication Co. Ltd. (Marconi, as was their standard operating procedure, also provided their own operators to man the radios.)

Construction of both ships was said to be of Siemens Martin steel (higher quality and less brittle than the earlier Bessemer steel) with teak decking, and their dimensions were given as follows:

Length between perpendiculars: 225' 0"
Breadth moulded at waterline: 39' 0"
Breadth moulded at deck: 42' 0"
Depth moulded to main deck: 12' 0"
Height between main and upper decks (beam to beam): 7' 9"
Height between upper and boat decks (beam to beam): 7' 6"
Load draft in salt water: 9' 0"

The Sai On and Tung On were powered by two cylindrical Scottish boilers and two inverted, direct-acting surface condensing triple expansion engines driving twin screws. Together, these developed around 1,400 horsepower at 162 rpm. The windlass, capstans and Wilson Pirrie-type steering gear were also steam-powered.

Both had wrought-iron grilles on deck for protection against piracy, and carried life buoys, six lifeboats, and around 900 lifebelts apiece for safety. They were fitted with electric lighting and fans, and their accommodations, according to China Mail, were designed for 40 saloon, 36 intermediate, 60 Chinese first-class, 300 upper deck and 700 lower deck passengers. (That's an impressive 1,136 passengers, although they may actually have carried more. Tung On is said to have taken more than 1,400 passengers on her maiden voyage, after first having been inspected by more than 30,000 people.)

The Hong Kong Telegraph noted the presence of "accommodation for thirty first-class passengers in beautifully appointed state-rooms, and 68 open berths for second-class passengers", while the Hong Kong Daily Press noted the design had the navigating bridge well forward, first class passengers forward, second class aft, and steerage in the 'tween decks.

The latter also described the rooms: Forward staterooms had two cot berths with electric reading lamps, a folding lavatory with hot and cold-water service, and an overhead fan. Aft staterooms had two berths, wash basins with hot and cold water, and an overhead fan. The upper saloon was mahogany-panelled, and the lower saloon oak-panelled. There was also a central dining saloon, "neatly panelled and fitted up with tables, etc."

Life was good in first class, but second class too had at least some conveniences. As well as their 68 open berths, they had both fans and wash basins with hot and cold water. The captain, officer and engineers also had accomodations in rooms forward on boat deck, separated from the passengers by a full steel bulkhead extending the width of the vessel.

On her trial in "glorious weather", a day or two post-launching, Sai On was found capable of 14.2 knots (a full knot more than the customer's specification) at a steam pressure of 190 psi, and consuming a ton of coal per hour. After trials, she anchored off Castle Peak for "tiffin ... and the customary toast." How very British, but it wasn't to remain such a picture of perfection!

Only six months later, she arrived in Canton to the sounds of gunfire and looting, as the Canton Merchant Volunteers Corps Uprising was underway. This was to be an ongoing theme for the first several years of her life, as she repeatedly arrived to scenes of unrest in Canton. And more than once her Chinese crew either deserted her or went on strike, leaving the rest of her crew to sail the vessel while the Indian anti-piracy guards - supplied by the Hong Kong police - served as temporary firemen, stoking the engines for her return to Hong Kong.

Scuffles among the crew, sometimes degenerating into full-blown fights with poles, brooms, and thrown objects, were also a recurring problem in her early years, and eventually one such incident resulted in the ousting of her British captain at the urging of her Chinese crew. Sai On even narrowly missed being struck by lightning when passing Deep Bay during a heavy thunderstorm. While nobody was hurt, the bolt instead struck the sea near the ship, its compass subsequently read two degrees east of true.

And at least twice she collided with other vessels, although never suffering much damage. Once she struck the China Navigation Company's S.S. Taming in the Pearl River. In another incident, she collided with an unlit junk in Kap Shui Mun. She also managed to get herself beached in the Pearl River twice.

During World War II, her sister ship Tung On was scuttled in the harbour, but Sai On escaped to neutral Macau. On 18 August 1943 and with some seventy refugees aboard, the Japanese decided to seize her, reversing their policy of respecting Portuguese neutrality. With the help of Chinese collaborators, she was forcibly removed from the Portuguese colony at the expense of several lives, and brought back to Aberdeen.

Almost immediately after the war she topped the headlines once more. The reason: A fast-spreading fire in the harbour at around 5AM on February 4th, 1947. Several hundred passengers, would-be passengers and their friends and family were already aboard, even an hour before her scheduled departure time. As many as 136 of them, including several crew members, are said to have died in the blaze. Around 25 more were sent to hospital, and at least 12 of them were admitted, suggesting significant injuries.

At an inquest just a couple of weeks later, the blame was placed on the Tung On [company's] loading and boarding practices, and on the fact that cargo and passengers weren't properly separated from each other. In fairness to the company, though, this was a practice said to have been routine at the time due to the short duration of the voyage.

After the fire was extinguished and bodies recovered, the hulk of Sai On was towed to Sham Shui Po and there she sat for around six months, perhaps longer. Some three years after the incident, the hulk was purchased in 1950 by Tai Yip Co. Ltd*, and repaired / refurbished as the Tak Shing. (And a significant task that must have been, because even before she'd sat waiting to be repaired for so long, her decks were said to have sagged several feet from the intense heat of the fire, which the inquest found must have been fed by a powerful fuel source of some kind.)

...in August 1959, she was again in the news for a fire. This time, though, it was a much smaller affair in her first-class linen room, resulting only in the loss of linen and blankets, and a few more minor injuries. Perhaps surprisingly, the Hong Kong media didn't put two and two together, and the earlier fire went unmentioned in their reportage.

From there, information on her career becomes hard-won. At some point by 1968, her name had again been changed, this time to Tung Shan, (it's not clear if she'd changed hands at the same time)...six years later...just as she'd reached her 50th birthday, and 27 years after that tragic fire, she was scrapped (possibly in Japan?).

* a 1950 news article on Hugh's website seems to suggest it was 1949 as it refers to the purchase the previous year. See here: https://industrialhistoryhk.org/british-river-steamer-sai-on/