SY The Junk Liveaboard Details

The June Hong Chian Lee is one of several junks built in Penang, Malaysia, and is a 30 meters, 140-ton three mast junk with 330 square meters of sails Built in 1962 for charcoal transportation the June Hong Chian Lee was part of a small merchant fleet that traded up and down the coastline from Burma to Malaysia. She was mainly used to transport mango wood charcoal till 1985 then she was restored and redesigned for the first time to serve as a classic yacht. In 1997 she changed owners and she was completely restored and set up as a liveaboard vessel. The June Hong is constructed mainly from a hard teak wood called Takien Tong.
She can take up to 22 guests on full charters, but takes maximum 18 on regular trips. Her 5 days/ 6 nights schedule gives you more time to explore than most other boats in the Similans. She departs every Saturday evening and returns Friday morning throughout the high season.
Go to Flickr Slide Show of SY June Hong Chian Lee "The Junk"
Rituals
A link with the past is a daily ritual of offering fruit, tea and incense before a small Chinese temple in the Captain’s quarters. According to Chinese tradition, the goddess of the shrine, if honored, will protect the ship. At the entrance of the temple, two small wooden soldiers stand guard. They are named Chian and Lee–the last two names of the June Hong–and they represent the Ying and Yang. A second altar is on the junk’s bow.
Fresh flowers are placed there each week. Below the bow are the eyes of the ship. As per traditional practices, the bow is a sacred part of the junk and sitting or standing there is a sacrilege. Sometimes guests sit on the bow, making the crew nervous. You can see it in their faces, says the captain. At the start of each season when the June Hong Chian Lee is launched, a Chinese shaman or priestess performs an ancient seafaring ceremony to call ashore the spirits.
The Junk Liveaboard Technical & Safety
| Specifications | |||
| LOA | 33m /108ft | Cruising speed | 8 knots |
| Beam | 8.5m /28ft | Fuel | 10,000 liters |
| Draft | 2.5m /8ft | Number of guests | 18-22 persons |
| Water | 6,000 liters/ per day | Dinghy | 1 X 4.2 meter & 1.5.8 meter |
| Engineering | |||
| Engines | Hino, 1 X 280 hp | Nitrox | None |
| Electricity | 2 X 50 kW | Air-conditioning | Fully Air conditioned |
| Surface Area | 2 X 150sqm | Compressors | Bauer X 2 |
| Onboard facilities | |||
| Cabins | 2 deluxe cabins with double beds, en suite 2 deluxe cabins with three twin beds, en suite 2 deluxe cabins with four twin beds, en suite |
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| Staff Cabins | 4 | Saloon | Air-con with TV, Stereo, Video, DVD |
| Bathrooms | 8 X with hot & cold water | Showers | 2 X on deck |
| Communications | |||
| VHF radio / SSB radio / GPS / Radar / Echo sounder, Sonic depth sounder / mobile telephone / Satellite phone | |||
| Emergency items | |||
| First aid kit, patient area with O2 tanks, SOLAS life raft, 40 life jackets | |||
| Diving | By Tender - Unlimited | Tanks | 40 X 12 liters air |

