R. Fung Co. Ltd, Hong Kong

[RandyT]

I have a Bill Garden designed 44' trawler built by the R. Fung Co. Ltd., Hong Kong in 1967, Hull or Design No. 495. Bill said that the owner was "long dead" when I wrote to him in 1995. I am very much interested in any information related to this builder and/or other owners of this design.

[paladin]

I could be very much mistaken...but there was an R. Fung "shipbuilding" place near Anthony W.K. Wong's yard there during that time frame.....I thought Fung was a "contract" builder... meaning that he was either hired or did a boat on speculation using molds from other boatbuilders...there was a lot of that sort of thing in H.K. during the 60's and 70's......

[Sedge]

I know this is a very old thread, but I just came across a newspaper article (Mobile (AL) Press Register, June 1, 1965) describing the delivering in Mobile by freighter of an R. Fung & Co., Ltd. built 54 foot ketch. The owner was Phillip Fixel, described as a businessman from New York City, with plans to continue outfitting the vessel in Mobile (the masts were stepped at Bender Ship yard), then take it to Miami for final outfitting, then sail it around the Bahamas. It is an unusual design, with a 3 deck high house, including remote controls in the top pilot house and a small enclosed house on the fo'c'sle. Also described was the teak construction, 2x175 h.p. diesels, VORAN, radar, auto-pilot, desalinization plant, air conditioning, a "Sea Slave" device that listens for the sound of other ships in the fog, 10 channel two-way radios, and chrome-plated stainless steel fittings. Low quality photo-copied pictures from the newspaper if anyone is interested.

[David G]

Yes. Fotos, please.

[Sedge]

Well, I've spent 20 minutes trying to figure out how to post an image here, using Flickr as the upload site. I've read 4 sets of instructions and can't get anything to work, so I guess it's just me. But, if you search on Flickr for "R. Fung" you should see the whole newspaper article. Let me know if it doesn't get you there, I can email it to you.

[skuthorp]

I could be very much mistaken...but there was an R. Fung "shipbuilding" place near Anthony W.K. Wong's yard there during that time frame.....I thought Fung was a "contract" builder... meaning that he was either hired or did a boat on speculation using molds from other boatbuilders...there was a lot of that sort of thing in H.K. during the 60's and 70's......

This gave me a start, nostalgia and all that. But trust Paladin to have known something as obscure as that.

[Bob Cleek]

As I recall, R.Fung Shipyard built a fair number of production yachts in the 1970's, notably Garden "Porpoise" knock-offs ("CT-41's") and Grand Banks style trawler yachts. They used a lot of teak but fit and finish was not always as good as might be desired. I remember cutting a hole in a fibreglass one for a through hull fitting, The plug broke into pieces upon removal. They'd used layers of Chinese newspapers in the layup! (I can't be sure THAT boat was an R. Fung build, but it was one of the same lot of Asian built clipper bowed "Porpois-type" ketches that were popular for a bit back then.)

[TR]

His name was Robin Fung. I've never seen a fiberglass boat from Fung but I have seen numerous wooden ones. Long time member here Scott Rosen has one, a beautifully built Wirth Monroe designed Sea Sailor. Fung built various Garden designs, the 25' Vashon Island cutter, the 34'6" Foam, 37' Wanderbird, a number of 42' Porpoises, and at least one powerboat as mentioned above. They are mostly hardwood, principally teak with copper rivets, and properly built. Two of the Porpoises are for sale right now, one at a high price in California and one at a low price here in BC.

[Fung/H]

His name was Robin Fung. I've never seen a fiberglass boat from Fung but I have seen numerous wooden ones. Long time member here Scott Rosen has one, a beautifully built McInnis designed Sea Sailor. Fung built various Garden designs, the 25' Vashon Island cutter, the 34'6" Foam, 37' Wanderbird, a number of 42' Porpoises, and at least one powerboat as mentioned above. They are mostly hardwood, principally teak with copper rivets, and properly built. Two of the Porpoises are for sale right now, one at a high price in California and one at a low price here in BC.

Tad and all of you who are interested in R Fung Co. boats, we are ( children of R. Fung) very excited to find this forum like discovering some old jewels that we didn't know. My Father Robin Fung passed away in 1992 in Hong Kong at 63. His company made many many boats in the 60"s. Most of the parts and wood were imported from Taiwan. As a young child I had the previlege to visit his ship yard where boats were being made by his diligent workers.Most of his customers were American. Unfortunately the ship yard was burned down by a huge fire in 1970 together with the other boat companies in that area of land. There were 2 boats that were finished in the yard at that time and was burned completely. Being a business man with excellant work ethics,even with no insurance on those boats at the time, he remade 2 new boats when the HK government let him use the land in Ping Chau ( a small island around HK) for a short time and sent them off to the customers around 1972-1973. Since then he didn't build any more boat as it was very difficult to find suitable location for boat building. If you guys still own a boat that made by my R. Fung Co. would it be possible to post a picture for our memory? And where exactly are the 2 boats in California and BC? much appreciated. Fung/H

[TR]

This is the Fung built Porpoise called Kittiwake, I do not know the build year. The original (I assume laid teak) decks have been covered with plywood and fiberglass. She lives close to us in the Gulf Islands and last I heard was looking for a new caretaker........

[John B]

There was one of those here called Dyarchy. That never sat well with me as I always identified that name with Giles boats, but that is no doubt just me. I don't know if the porpoise is still around here or not but I'll sing out if I see it ( I don't know who built it).

[TR]

If she doesn't have this she's not the real thing.

There are perhaps three of these Fung built Porpoises for sale in California right now. One is Corinna (unknown year), Wayward Wind 1968, and Diogenes 1967 http://svdiogenes.com/ All are built of 1.375" clear teak planking over Ipol frames with bronze/copper rivet fastenings. Keel, clamps, and decks are teak, deckbeams are Ipol.

It's funny they are all for sale but I guess there's much against them, they are big and expensive to moor, and insurance is required and hard to get. And the arrangement with that tiny forepeak head with no headroom or sole is not up to modern standards. Of course they are 45 year old wooden boats in need of maintenance, but they are awesome ships should one want to go someplace.

[Fung/H]

If she doesn't have this she's not the real thing.

There are perhaps three of these Fung built Porpoises for sale in California right now. One is Corinna (unknown year), Wayward Wind 1968, and Diogenes 1967 http://svdiogenes.com/ All are built of 1.375" clear teak planking over Ipol frames with bronze rivet fastenings. Keel, clamps, and decks are teak, deckbeams are Ipol.

It's funny they are all for sale but I guess there's much against them, they are big and expensive to moor, and insurance is required and hard to get. And the arrangement with that tiny forepeak head with no headroom or sole is not up to modern standards. Of course they are 45 year old wooden boats in need of maintenance, but they are awesome ships should one want to go someplace.

Tad, thanks sooo much for the pictures of the Kittiwake, she sure is a beauty!!!! she resembles the small model we kept at our family home in remenberence of our Dad. It brought tears to my eyes just to see the company stamp. Thanks for shining some light to the kind of fine work he did, I would have never imagine I could see it one day!!! much appreciated. Fung/H

[CapnJ2ds]

There was one of those here called Dyarchy. That never sat well with me as I always identified that name with Giles boats, but that is no doubt just me. I don't know if the porpoise is still around here or not but I'll sing out if I see it ( I don't know who built it).

Yeah, had trouble with the name too, for the same reason. She's the cutter rigged one in Garden's first book, built for Jack Shacklock. Last saw her in Wellington some 25 or so years ago, then owned by Frank Manifold. Memory suggests the builder was Miller & Tunnage, but I'm not at all sure of that. Dunno where she is now.

[Walloon]

I own an R. Fung Wanderbird Ketch. This is from the Walloon design in the first Garden book.

I have never encountered a fiberglass Fung. I have seen many boats that he built in wood.

Construction is copper riveted teak on ipol frames. The quality of the workmanship is outstanding - all of the wood except the rudder and the figurehead is original. Under previous ownership, the original figurehead was broken off in a dock accident and replaced by a Mexican woodcarver. Garden called the figurehead an abomination and asked that it be replaced with his original design. There are no broken frames or working planks. The quality of the hollow topside seams and the bottom planking run is outstanding enough that after bottom painting in the spring I've been asked more than once if the boat is fiberglass or wood. Even when driven to windward hard for many hours, the boat is dry enough to have dust in the bilges except for a few hours after launch. The laid teak decks on my boat are original and do not leak. The interior cabinetry is beautiful.

I've discussed the boat with Garden on several occassions. He was lavish in his praise of Fung as the finest oriental builder of his designs in teak, although he was quite annoyed that Fung made some changes in building the designs. My boat has higher cockpit coamings and a higher deck house and cabin than he drew for the Walloon design. I have been aboard 2 Walloons professionally built by American yards and neither was as well executed as Fung's. Both also varied from the original plans more significantly. The higher cockpit coamings and deckhouse do detract from the beauty of the boat, but the cockpit coamings as designed are extremely uncomfortable in the small of my back, so functionally, the higher coamings are a major improvement. Raising the deckhouse/cabin overhead provides much needed headroom and prevents head injury.

The last time I spoke to Garden, he was praising the meticulous contruction of an Atkins design built by Fung that he had just seen. In the first book, he glowingly describes a Porpoise built in Hong Kong - a reference to a Fung boat.

[Bob Cleek]

Oops! Sorry I got Mr. Fung confused with other Chinese builders of fibreglass Garden Porpoise's! I do remember now. We had one teak hulled Porpoise come through the brokerage where I worked back in the '70's and it was very well done. Probably a Fung, come to think of it.

[Lew Barrett]

This thread has turned out great, replete with a very satisfying surprise in the arrival of Mr. Fung's family. Well done!

[Scott Rosen]

Great thread! It's such a pleasure to hear from Robin Fung's family. I have a Wirth Monroe designed Sea Sailer, built in 1971 by R Fung, hull number 128. The materials and workmanship are excellent. Other than a new deck, she is entirely original -- even the flagstaff. Teak on ipol frames, copper and bronze fastened. I've replaced some of the fasteners below the wl, but only out of caution, not because they needed replacing.

Apologies in advance for the poor quality photos. Here she is before launch.


My daughter helps with the varnishing.

[Lew Barrett]

She's good!

[Fung/H]

Scott, your daughter ( and you) did a wonderful job in the upkeep of the boat! It's beautiful!! Has the boat been to many waters?

[jjames1864]

Tad and all of you who are interested in R Fung Co. boats, we are ( children of R. Fung) very excited to find this forum like discovering some old jewels that we didn't know. My Father Robin Fung passed away in 1992 in Hong Kong at 63. His company made many many boats in the 60"s. Most of the parts and wood were imported from Taiwan. As a young child I had the previlege to visit his ship yard where boats were being made by his diligent workers.Most of his customers were American. Unfortunately the ship yard was burned down by a huge fire in 1970 together with the other boat companies in that area of land. There were 2 boats that were finished in the yard at that time and was burned completely. Being a business man with excellant work ethics,even with no insurance on those boats at the time, he remade 2 new boats when the HK government let him use the land in Ping Chau ( a small island around HK) for a short time and sent them off to the customers around 1972-1973. Since then he didn't build any more boat as it was very difficult to find suitable location for boat building. If you guys still own a boat that made by my R. Fung Co. would it be possible to post a picture for our memory? And where exactly are the 2 boats in California and BC? much appreciated. Fung/H

Hello!! I just purchased Wayward Wind, built by your father in 1968. I was told that it is a "porpoise", but that information was false. She is actually only 41' (52' overall). She is in total disrepair and will need a lot of work to get her back in shape. But I will do my best. My email adddress is brad@drscopiers.com. Let me know if you would like more information or photos.

[Scott Rosen]

Scott, your daughter ( and you) did a wonderful job in the upkeep of the boat! It's beautiful!! Has the boat been to many waters?

Thank you! The boat has been in Florida and New England. She doesn't have a lot of miles under her keel, but she is well-loved and well-used.

[Scott Rosen]

Here's Patience at anchor at Watch Hill, Rhode Island last week.

[John B]

I don't know who built this boat but shes a Garden and has just been refitted locally for a forum member. ( They also own Maggie)

http://www.johnsonyachts.co.nz/refitting.html

[rbgarr]

Here's Patience at anchor at Watch Hill, Rhode Island last week.

Nice!

[Uncle Duke]

For those who might be interested, the Fung built Sea Sailor "Anna Louise" is for sale in Connecticut:
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi..._id=17504&url=

[Feazer]

I worked with a British Ex-Pat who knew a bit about two really high quality builders in Hong Kong who had yards and were building high quality boats of both Garden and Brewers design in the late 60's and early to mid 70's. They were Fung and a builder in Chan's Shipyard by the name of Wing on Shing as I recall. One particular feature of both builders was they always planked fastened with copper rivets much like Cheoy Lee did during those years. I have never seen a screw fastened hull by any of the better builders of Hong Kong and many of the hulls were planked with high quality Burma teak a wood that was so plentiful back then that crates and skids were made of the lesser cuts.

Mr. Fung as did Wing on Shing would have constructed the backbone including floors or Yacal which is a dense rather dark brown wood with little white specs of silica similar to Apitong but easier to work and frames out with Ipol a white long grained hardwood similar to oak but prettier in my opinion. The only problem these builders had back then was the inferior plywood if they used it at all. I recall the mess Clair Oberly and Bill Hardin got into when they started Far East Yachts in Japan. They did everything right in the beginning with a select crew of Japanese shipwrights but were sold on plywood decks as being the way to go for those buyers who did not want laid teak. It was not their fault since they were told, as was everyone back then that the mahogany plywood was good stuff. Then later on everybody's decks and coachroofs turned to mush.

Men like Mr. Fung, Wing on Shing and others I have heard of built incredibly fine wooden yachts for knowlegable and demanding buyers like the famous charter skipper Art Crimmins out of the Bahamas and his 65' ketch ' Traveler III ' and designers like Bill Garden or Ted Brewer. Their interiors always featured nice touches of carving work and unusual brass pulls and knobs. They are all gone now and even if they were still building those nice timbers are almost impossible to get at reasonable prices over there— if at all. I have not been back to Hong Kong in many years but I would suspect those yards have been scraped and built over leaving nothing but the boats on this side as a reminder.

[TR]

I worked with a British Ex-Pat who knew a bit about two really high quality builders in Hong Kong who had yards and were building high quality boats of both Garden and Brewers design in the late 60's and early to mid 70's. They were Fung and a builder in Chan's Shipyard by the name of Wing on Shing as I recall. One particular feature of both builders was they always planked fastened with copper rivets much like Cheoy Lee did during those years. I have never seen a screw fastened hull by any of the better builders of Hong Kong and many of the hulls were planked with high quality Burma teak a wood that was so plentiful back then that crates and skids were made of the lesser cuts.

Mr. Fung as did Wing on Shing would have constructed the backbone including floors or Yacal which is a dense rather dark brown wood with little white specs of silica similar to Apitong but easier to work and frames out with Ipol a white long grained hardwood similar to oak but prettier in my opinion. The only problem these builders had back then was the inferior plywood if they used it at all. I recall the mess Clair Oberly and Bill Hardin got into when they started Far East Yachts in Japan. They did everything right in the beginning with a select crew of Japanese shipwrights but were sold on plywood decks as being the way to go for those buyers who did not want laid teak. It was not their fault since they were told, as was everyone back then that the mahogany plywood was good stuff. Then later on everybody's decks and coachroofs turned to mush.

Men like Mr. Fung, Wing on Shing and others I have heard of built incredibly fine wooden yachts for knowlegable and demanding buyers like the famous charter skipper Art Crimmins out of the Bahamas and his 65' ketch ' Traveler III ' and designers like Bill Garden or Ted Brewer. Their interiors always featured nice touches of carving work and unusual brass pulls and knobs. They are all gone now and even if they were still building those nice timbers are almost impossible to get at reasonable prices over there— if at all. I have not been back to Hong Kong in many years but I would suspect those yards have been scraped and built over leaving nothing but the boats on this side as a reminder.

Nice post Feazer, thank you.

[John B]

A lurker tells me that there is a builders plate with R Fung on it on this boat.

I don't know who built this boat but shes a Garden and has just been refitted locally for a forum member. ( They also own Maggie)

http://www.johnsonyachts.co.nz/refitting.html