Ship needs new dock

For more than five years, an intriguing Chinese junk has graced

Rainbow Harbor’s waters in Long Beach, attracting the attention of

locals and tourists alike. But come Sept. 1, the boat will be

homeless.

The vessel’s owner, Corona del Mar resident Lynn Hackman, said she

hopes to find Mei Wen Ti a new home in Newport Harbor, so Orange

County residents can also have the opportunity to experience the

enchanting Chinese vessel.

“I would love to have her in Newport,” said Hackman, who

frequently walks around Balboa Island. “I can just see her.”

The boat, which has been serving as one of Dockside Boat and Bed’s

Long Beach vacation rentals since 2000, has to be moved because

Dockside is losing a quarter of its dock space to the city of Long

Beach. The company rents out yachts by the night, somewhat like a bed

and breakfast.

Kim Harris, co-owner and vice president of Dockside, said that of

all their yachts, Mei Wen Ti is the largest and most awkwardly

docked. It also needs some heavy maintenance, which is why it was the

obvious choice of boats to let go.

“Unfortunately, because it’s a wooden boat and wooden boats have a

personality all their own, the boat leaks when it rains,” Harris

said.

She said the decision was made with mixed emotions, as the vessel

has been a popular tourist attraction and a favorite for many of

their guests.

“The people who stay on the boat and appreciate what it is

absolutely love it,” Harris said.

Hackman said the vessel is like a floating piece of art, with a

giant hand-painted tiger on the front and hand-carved wooden plaques

that surround the boat’s deck, each one representing one of the eight

immortals -- ancient figures who represent the spectrum of Chinese

society. She said those were added touches from the Chinese craftsmen

who built the vessel.

Lynn Hackman’s father, Walt Hackman, had it built in the early

‘90s to fulfill his longtime dream of living on a boat.

“I really, really like wooden boats; they have a completely

different feel than plastic boats,” Walt Hackman said.

The 69-year-old retiree sold Mei Wen Ti to his daughter four years

ago because he was ready to travel and because it requires so much

maintenance.

Lynn Hackman said that when she found out her father had put the

boat on the market, she was devastated because she really wanted it

to stay in the family. She eventually convinced her father to let her

purchase the boat.

“I’ve basically put my savings into it,” she said. “This boat is

not cheap for me to own, and I’m not rich.”

She added that Mei Wen Ti has sentimental value to her because her

father built it while going through an emotionally taxing time in his

life. Since taking over the boat, she said she and her father have

spent priceless and countless hours together, working on the boat and

bonding over stories of its creation.

When he decided to buy a wooden vessel, Walt Hackman shopped

around within the United States, only to find that wooden boats are a

rarity in this country. Through an acquaintance, he found a shipyard

80 miles outside of Shanghai, up the Yangtze River in China, where

they still constructed wooden boats by hand.

He had all the plumbing and fixtures shipped from the United

States to give the interior of the boat a more modern feel.

Walt Hackman said he is working on a book about his experience of

building a boat in China, to be called “Mei Wen Ti: No Problem.” He

explained that the boat’s name means “no problem” -- quite a

contradiction since building it proved to be a task of immense

proportions.

Lynn Hackman said she is planning a cooking show called “Junk

Food,” which would take place aboard the boat. She has been pitching

the show to networks in the hope that one of them will pick it up,

thereby allowing her to keep the boat.

“I’m just not ready to let her go,” she said. “I’m holding on by

the skin of my teeth to make my own dream with this boat happen.”

She hopes to find a home for Mei Wen Ti in Newport Harbor. As a

backup, she has listed the yacht for sale.

“This is such a special boat that it’s sort of hard to find buyers

for it,” said Bud Martin, owner of Martin Yacht Sales. “It just takes

a little bit longer to find that particular buyer.”

Martin is also trying to help find a slip for Mei Wen Ti in

Newport Beach.