Marker Logo HMdb.org THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
San Rafael in Marin County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
 

Junk Grace Quan

 
 
Junk <i>Grace Quan</i> Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 27, 2017
1. Junk Grace Quan Marker
Inscription. The Grace Quan is a reconstruction of a San Francisco Bay Shrimp junk. Between 1860 and 1910, these were the workhorse of the Bay Area's Chinese-owned dried shrimp industry. The Shrimp Junks closely resembled vessels from the fishermen's home waters in Guangdong Province, China.
Most junks carried a single, five-batten lugsail. They also featured a daggerboard forward of the mast, and a rudder which could have its depth adjusted. When wind was calm, the fishermen could use oars, rowed from the bow, and a long sculling oar, called a "yuloh" worked from the stern.

BASIC FACTS: Length: 42 ft., 3 in.
Beam: 10 ft., 4 in.
Draft, daggerboard, rudder down: 5 ft.
Draft, daggerboard, rudder up: 1 ft.
 
Erected by A Partnership of San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park and China Camp State Park.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian AmericansWaterways & Vessels.
 
Location. 38° 0.062′ N, 122° 27.651′ W. Marker is in San Rafael, California, in Marin County. Marker can be reached from North San Pedro Road near Biscayne Drive, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1896 North San Pedro Road, San Rafael CA 94901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8
Paid Advertisement
Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.
Click or scan to see
this page online
other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. China Camp (within shouting distance of this marker); Wa Jen Ha Lio (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); East Brother Light Station (approx. 3 miles away); Marin County Civic Center (approx. 3.8 miles away); Richmond-San Rafael Bridge (approx. 4.1 miles away); Mission San Rafael Arcangel (approx. 4.1 miles away); a different marker also named Mission San Rafael Arcangel (approx. 4.1 miles away); Marin (approx. 4.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Rafael.
 
More about this marker. This marker is located on the pier at China Camp State Park.
 
Also see . . .  Grace Quan - Wikipedia. Grace Quan is a modern reconstruction of a Chinese-American shrimp fishing junk, similar to those in the fleet that operated in San Francisco Bay in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The junk was built in 2003 as a joint project between China Camp State Park in San Rafael, California and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, and is now jointly exhibited and operated by both institutions. (Submitted on April 4, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.) 
 
Additional keywords.
Junk <i>Grace Quan</i> Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, April 21, 2016
2. Junk Grace Quan Marker
Junk Grace Quan
 
Traditional Boatbuilding Techniques image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 27, 2017
3. Traditional Boatbuilding Techniques
Design: The design for the Grace Quan was derived from historic photographs and archaeological information.
Materials: Traditional materials such as redwood planking, forged nails, and caulking made from lime and linseed oil, were used by the boatbuilding crew as were traditional Chinese boatbuilding techniques such as bending wood with fire, and nailing planks to each other along the plank seams.
Sail: The cotton canvas sail was treated using the traditional method of boiling the newly made sail in a vat of hot water and the crushed dried bark of tanbark oak trees.
The San Francisco Bay Shrimp Junks: Shallow-water Workboats in a Pacific Rim Fishery image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, March 27, 2017
4. The San Francisco Bay Shrimp Junks: Shallow-water Workboats in a Pacific Rim Fishery
San Francisco Bay Shrimp Junks like the Grace Quon were well-suited to working big nets in shallow water. They were long and wide for stability, and the top edge of their planks, or sheer, was low and close to the water. The open flat deck arrangement, with side decks close to the rail, created a safe and efficient work platform. A barrel windlass helped the fishermen to pull large, waterlogged nets full of hundreds of pounds of shrimp on board.
Most of the San Francisco Bay Shrimp Junks carried a single, five-batten lugsail, typical of vessels from southern Guangdong Province in China. The junks also featured rudders that could be raised, and a daggerboard forward of the mast which could have its depth adjusted. When wind was calm, the fishermen could use oars, rowed from the bow, and a long sculling oar, called a "yuloh," worked from the stern. Combined with their relatively shallow hulls, these features let the junk be sailed and worked in waters as shallow as four feet!

BASIC FACTS: Width of Nets at Mouth: 30-40 ft.
Depth of Water Fished: 5 - 15 ft.
Typical Day's Catch, One Junk: 1,150 lbs.
Number of Junks Fishing 1900 @ 30
Junk <i>Grace Quan</i> docked at China Camp image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Wikipedia
5. Junk Grace Quan docked at China Camp
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on May 6, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 4, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 305 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 4, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.

Share this page.  
Share on Tumblr
m=102478

CeraNet Cloud Computing sponsors the Historical Marker Database.
This website earns income from purchases you make after using our links to Amazon.com. We appreciate your support.
Paid Advertisements
Mar. 28, 2024