When Spaniards sailed a junk boat from Hong Kong to Barcelona – a trip that would take 8 months
- In 1959, a Spanish crew hoping to follow the example of mariners during the days of ancient China set sail in a junk boat from Hong Kong to Barcelona
- Thousands of supporters cheered their arrival nearly eight months later. They become the first people to sail a Chinese junk into the Mediterranean
“Six Spaniards who plan to sail a Hongkong junk back to Barcelona on Christmas Day arrived here by Air France from Paris yesterday. The leader is Jose Maria Tey, 39-year-old Barcelona merchant,” reported the South China Morning Post on December 8, 1958.
“Others are Joachim del Molino, 28, industrial engineer; Oriol Regas, 23, student; Luis Maynard, 39, former aviator, soldier and diplomat; Jose de Luis Madoz, 30, industrial photographer, and Mauricio Cuesta, 30, industrialist.
“A seventh member of the party, Jose Gonzales, has already arrived and has bought the three-masted, 60-ton junk for the 11,000-mile journey back to Spain […]
“Senor Tey said their voyage back home was a sporting one. By sailing all the way to the Mediterranean they hoped to follow the example of old mariners during the days of ancient China.
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“He said that he was a captain in the Spanish merchant navy and always took a keen interest in sailing, more so in the nature of sport and recreational voyages.
“Asked his opinion on the chances of succeeding, he said that they did not know much about sailing this type of junk apart from what they had read in magazines. He was the only one in the party that has any knowledge of deep sea navigation.”
On September 11, 1959, the Post reported that “a well travelled Chinese junk sailed into [Barcelona] harbour today after completing a history-making voyage. And to welcome the Rubia and her Spanish crew, thousands of persons lined the dock to cheer and wave as officials fired a welcoming cannon salute.
“Nearly eight months ago, on January 17, she sailed from Hongkong bound for Barcelona. Her captain, Jose Maria Tey […] wanted to be the first person ever to sail a Chinese junk into the Mediterranean. Today his trip was over and his wish has come true.”
