Walt Hackman

No Problem, Mr. Walt: A Memoir of Loss, Building a Boat, Rebuilding a Life, and Rediscovering Marco Polo's China Walt Hackman

In 1989, When Walt Hackman's son was tragically murdered his world collapsed around him. Seeking peace of mind and a new beginning, Walt sought to honor his son's memory by bringing to life a dream that his son shared with him but had long been delayed - to live on a Chinese junk. And the first thing: to build one.

What followed was 5 trips to China in 4 years, dealing with people of totally different customs and culture, learning about Chinese history, poetry, and cuisine while learning Chinese, and rediscovering the China that Marco Polo observed 800 years ago.

The result was Mei Wen Ti, an authentic Chinese handcrafted wooden junk made with exactly the same techniques as when Marco Polo eyewitnessed in the Yuan Dynsaty. While the junk was named "Mei Wen Ti" which was a pet phrase of the Chinese workers that means "no problem", Walt was met with numerous problems from the workers' lack of knowledges of modern engines to not being able to find a shipping line to carry the junk to US. But he managed to get over the significant cultural barriers, making unlikely friends, achieving an improbable dream against all odds, and built the Chinese junk that changed his life forever.

Filled with humor, drama, mystery, and suspense, this delightful memoir is interspersed with intriguing Chinese anecdotes, poetry, and recipes. Walt's extraordinary journey to build a wooden boat ultimately helped him honor the beloved son he lost and sail new seas.

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