Nelson Liu, the boat captain who organized the expedition, said the people of the places they have visited have taught him great lessons.
While on Saipan, Liu and his nine-member crew have been getting invitations for lunch and welcome parties.
On Saturday, Mr. and Mrs. Litulumar whose children boarded Princess Taiping, dropped off a truck-load of bananas and papayas at the Smiling Cove Marina for the visiting adventurers.
“It’s amazing. We’ve never had before a truck-load of bananas and papayas. The hospitality of this island is really great,” said Liu.
Elizabet Zeiger, one of the 10 crew members of the ship, was invited for an overnight stay on the Litulumar’s farm.
Zeiger, a newly graduated agriculture student at the University of Hawaii, said the expedition is a once in a lifetime experience she’ll never forget.
She joined the team when it reached Honolulu in February.
John Hunter said he dropped out at University of Hawaii and quit his job to join the expedition and just like Zeiger he is convinced he made the right choice.
Hunter said it feels like they are cast members of the famed reality TV show “The Survivor,” and the only difference is that they are not trying to outwit each other but are helping each other survive.
“I do the dishes. I cook food and steer,” he said.
Sometimes, powerful waves hit their small boat.
“You could be swept in the open ocean and no one would notice,” he said.
Larz Stewart, also of Hawaii, said he won’t trade his experience with Princess Taiping for anything.
He also quit his day job to join the team.
“Besides being an amazing opportunity, I believe in the mission of the project,” said Stewart who used to teach Chinese actors English as a second language.
Standing at 6”5’, Stewart is the tallest among the crew members.
“I barely fit in [our cabin],” he said. But despite this inconvenience, he’s not giving up.
“This is far more valuable to me than any currency. It builds my character and trade skills,” he added.
Angela Chao, the only female crewmember, has sailed with Liu from the start.
She said knowing that they have a very skilled captain gives her confidence that they can make it.
“Scared? No. Our captain is very reliable. He has sailed around the world. He’s very experienced,” said Chao who is a writer and painter in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Weighing less than 100 lbs., Chao said the trip was physically difficult in the beginning.
But patience is one of the important things she learned throughout the expedition.
“People should respect each other and each other’s space,” she said.
Chao said their expedition made her closer with nature, allowing them to commune with dolphins and even with whales.
She plans to use her experience to urge more Chinese to protect their marine resources and age-old sailing traditions.
Hugh Morrow, one of the crew members, said their intent is to preserve Chinese shipping culture and create awareness about Chinese sailing history.
Durham, 68, who joined the group from Hawaii, said he has been sailing for 33 days and he said the experience is worth it.
“This is a chance of a lifetime,” said Durham, a retired attorney. “This is fantastic and fabulous.”
Away from the comforts of their homes, Durham said the vast ocean provides them solace.
“These are good and hard working people,” he said of his fellow crewmembers. “We didn’t know each other but we get along well. When we get up in the morning we see the huge ocean. At night, we still see the ocean.”
He added, “People said, ‘You don’t want to go to Saipan. Lots of poverty and problems with immigration.’ But Saipan is beautiful.”
The 54-ft. long and 45-ft wide Princess Taiping, which means “peace” in Chinese, was built without nuts and bolts but through traditional Chinese shipbuilding techniques using fir, acacia and bamboo.
Sophisticated craftsmen from China’s Fuzhou, Quanzhou and Zhangzhou provinces built Princess Taiping which was modeled after Chinese junk sails during the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties.
